ArticleClinical rheumatology2019
The superb microvascular imaging is more sensitive than conventional power Doppler imaging in detection of active synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- How useful is contrast-enhanced ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis? A systematic review with meta-analysis on the comparison between contrast-enhanced ultrasound and colour or power Doppler ultrasound.La Radiologia medica · 2025Pooled it
- The Use of Superb Microvascular Imaging in Evaluating Rheumatic Diseases: A Systematic Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in the evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review.La Radiologia medica · 2020Pooled it
- Microvascular flow imaging in musculoskeletal ultrasound: from technical innovation to clinical integration.Journal of ultrasonography · 2026Review
- Development and evaluation of multimodal ultrasound radiomics models for predicting active inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.Skeletal radiology · 2026Article
- Superb microvascular imaging in the assessment of persistent synovitis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.Osteoarthritis imaging · 2025Article
- Contrast-enhanced ultrasound as a valuable tool to detect minimal inflammation in RA patients in sustained remission.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- Advances in Musculoskeletal Imaging in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.Biomedicines · 2022Review
- Evaluation of hypervascularity in synovitis of the shoulder using ultrasound: comparison of preoperative ultrasound findings and intraoperative arthroscopic findings.JSES international · 2022Article
- Vascular supply of the metacarpophalangeal joint.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) detects increased vascularity of the torn anterior cruciate ligament.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2022Article
- Endothelial Dysfunction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Systemic Sclerosis: A Common Trigger for Different Microvascular Diseases.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Review
- Evaluation of Periarticular Soft Tissues in Patients With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis by Superb Microvascular Imaging and Shear Wave Elastography.Archives of rheumatology · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
objectivesThis study evaluated Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) technology for detection of active synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
methodsBetween June 2015 and October 2016, 56 patients with RA (42 females; mean age, 53.2 years) underwent gray-scale ultrasound (US) imaging, power Doppler imaging (PDI), and SMI for synovitis of both wrists and hands (total 22 joints), scored for each joint from grades 0 to 3. The sum of grades for 22 joints was determined for gray-scale (SYN-sum), PDI (PDI-sum), and SMI (SMI-sum) according to clinical parameters. Follow-up US was performed in 17 patients (mean interval, 251.6 days).
resultsThe SMI-sum (7.27 ± 4.56) was significantly higher than the PDI-sum (4.38 ± 3.09, p < 0.001) and the SYN-sum (4.55 ± 3.72, p < 0.001), and was significantly correlated with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), and Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28)-CRP (γ = 0.409, p = 0.002; γ = 0.695, p < 0.001; γ = 0.726, p < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, in 28 patients with clinical remission, the SMI-sum (4.32 ± 2.01) was greater than the PDI-sum (2.61 ± 1.60, p < 0.001). In 17 patients with follow-up US, the SMI-sum (2.35 ± 1.73) was significantly greater than the PDI-sum (1.24 ± 1.20; p < 0.001) and was also significantly correlated with DAS28 (γ = 0.880).
conclusionSMI may detect active synovitis with greater sensitivity than PDI in RA patients, even with clinical remission, and is well-correlated with inflammatory parameters during follow-up. KEY POINTS: • SMI correlated well with PDI and was more sensitive for detection of active synovitis in RA. • The SMI-sum was not only of greater value but also more strongly correlated than the PDI-sum with clinical inflammatory indicators including ESR, CRP, and DAS28 on initial and follow-up US examinations. • The SMI-sum was even significantly increased in patients with clinical remission.
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