Article Text
Abstract
Background In 2001, the European League Against Rheumatism developed and disseminated the first guidelines for musculoskeletal (MS) ultrasound (US) in rheumatology. Fifteen years later, the dramatic expansion of new data on MSUS in the literature coupled with technological developments in US imaging has necessitated an update of these guidelines.
Objectives To update the existing MSUS guidelines in rheumatology as well as to extend their scope to other anatomic structures relevant for rheumatology.
Methods The project consisted of the following steps: (1) a systematic literature review of MSUS evaluable structures; (2) a Delphi survey among rheumatologist and radiologist experts in MSUS to select MS and non-MS anatomic structures evaluable by US that are relevant to rheumatology, to select abnormalities evaluable by US and to prioritise these pathologies for rheumatology and (3) a nominal group technique to achieve consensus on the US scanning procedures and to produce an electronic illustrated manual (ie, App of these procedures).
Results Structures from nine MS and non-MS areas (ie, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand, hip, knee, ankle and foot, peripheral nerves, salivary glands and vessels) were selected for MSUS in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) and their detailed scanning procedures (ie, patient position, probe placement, scanning method and bony/other landmarks) were used to produce the App. In addition, US evaluable abnormalities present in RMD for each anatomic structure and their relevance for rheumatology were agreed on by the MSUS experts.
Conclusions This task force has produced a consensus-based comprehensive and practical framework on standardised procedures for MSUS imaging in rheumatology.
- ultrasound
- scanning
- standardization
- rheumatology
- rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases
- procedures
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Footnotes
Handling editor Francis Berenbaum
Funding This study was funded by a EULAR grant (The development of EULAR Standardised Procedures for Rheumatology Ultrasound Imaging has a EULAR grant invested in the payment of the fellows, the methodologist, the expenses for a 2-day meeting of a subgroup of the task force panel and the technical support for the App production. The app is available at no cost at the EULAR web page).
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.