JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS: COMMON ULTRASOUND FINDINGS AND PITFALLS
By Melissa Wong, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is one of the most prevalent rheumatic disorders and the main cause of acquired disability in children.1 The term encompasses a group of heterogenous disorders characterised by persistent synovial inflammation which can lead to cartilage damage and long-term physical impairment.2
As ultrasound is an easily accessible, safe, non-invasive and accurate modality, there have been major advances in the role of ultrasound aiding in the detection of synovial diseases and management of JIA. This poster will aim to highlight the common ultrasound findings in scanning children with JIA, the challenges in scanning MSK and the pitfalls when compared to scanning adult MSK.
Ultrasound assessment enables detection of synovitis, effusion, tenosynovitis, enthesitis and cartilage damage due to persistent joint inflammation.1,2 Although ultrasound is useful, it is extremely operator dependent and challenges are present, thus normal unossified cartilage in the developing skeleton should not be mistaken for pathological changes. There will be a pictorial section illustrating these common ultrasound appearances and differences in cartilage due to age. This will assist ultrasound practitioners in detecting common synovial inflammation in JIA children and provide confidence in differentiating between normal cartilage and pathological changes.
Reference:
1. Basra HAS, Humphries PD. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: what is the utility of ultrasound? Br J Radiol 2017; 90: 20160920
2. Lanni S, Wood M, Ravelli A, Manzoni SM, Emery P and Wakefield RJ. Towards a role of ultrasound in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Rheumatology 2013; 52:413-420