Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42055773›Full record

ArticleRMD open2026

Development and validation of a new ultrasound score (SONAR-7) for synovitis in psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis.

Gehad G Elsehrawy, Delphine S Courvoisier, Erik Deman, Diana Dan, Raphael Micheroli, Hans Ziswiler, Pascal Zufferey, Laure Brulhart, Michael J Nissen

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in RMD open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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2 · The registry

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Gehad G ElsehrawyDepartment of Rheumatology, Geneva University Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland gehadgamal@med.suez.edu.eg.ORCID 0000-0002-1447-0543
Delphine S CourvoisierDepartment of Rheumatology, Geneva University Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Erik DemanDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Diana DanDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Raphael MicheroliDepartment of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-8918-7304
Hans ZiswilerOsteoRheuma, Bern, Switzerland.
Pascal ZuffereyDepartment of Rheumatology, Fribourg Hospitals, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Laure BrulhartDepartment of Rheumatology, Neuchâtel Hospital, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Michael J NissenDepartment of Rheumatology, Geneva University Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-6326-1764

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesDevelopment of a new ultrasound (US) synovitis score (SONography in Arthritis and Rheumatism (SONAR)-7) with evaluation of its diagnostic performance in a cohort of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), in comparison with healthy controls (HC).

methodsWe included 121 participants: 41 patients with PsA and 39 patients with axSpA, from six Swiss hospitals and 41 HC. All participants underwent a clinical examination of joints (68/66 tender joint count/swollen joint count (SJC)), followed by a detailed musculoskeletal US examination of 22 joints to assess for greyscale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) synovitis in adherence with the definitions established by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology US working group.

resultsThe 'SONAR-7' score incorporated GS and PD lesions across 14 joints, including four metacarpophalangeal joints, four distal interphalangeal joints of the hands, two metatarsophalangeal joints, knees and wrists. It demonstrated an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.831 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.90), with an excellent specificity (95.1%) and moderate sensitivity (44%), comparable to existing US scores. The inflammatory components of the SONAR-7 correlated significantly with clinical measures of inflammation and disease activity (correlation: 0.37 for SJC-28, 0.33 for Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis and 0.48 for US enthesitis). New bone formation in the same joints was associated with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (p=0.035) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (p=0.016).

conclusionThe SONAR-7 score represents a fast and effective US-based tool for the evaluation of inflammatory and structural joint involvement in patients with PsA and axSpA, with high specificity and meaningful associations with clinical and quality-of-life outcomes.

Indexed as

Arthritis, PsoriaticAxial SpondyloarthritisSynovitisAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedROC CurveSeverity of Illness IndexUltrasonographyUltrasonography, DopplerAxial SpondyloarthritisPsoriatic ArthritisSpondyloarthritisSynovitisUltrasonography

Identifiers

PMID42055773
PMCPMC13141118

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