Color Doppler ultrasonographic findings in active ankylosing sacroiliitis / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the color Doppler ultrasonographic findings of active ankylosing sacroiliitis.Methods Thirty three patients (66 sacroiliac joints in total) with active ankylosing sacroiliitis identified by MRI and twenty eight healthy volunteers (56 sacroiliac joints) underwent color Doppler ultrasound examinations of sacroiliac joints.Degree of blood flow within and around the sacroiliac joints was evaluated by semi-quantitative scale (0 - 4 grade).For arteries, resistive index was also measured.Statistical analyses were performed to compare blood flow demonstration rate, blood flow signal scale distribution,degree of blow flow and RI value between the two groups.Results Higher blood flow demonstration rate was found in patients with active ankylosing sacroiliitis(60/66,90.1%) than control group (25/56,44.6%)( P = 0.000).The scale distribution and degree of blow flow between these two groups were statistically different (all P = 0.000) ,with mainly 2～3 grade for the patients and 0～1 grade for the control.Mean value of RI in the patients was 0.57 ± 0.07, which was lower than the control (0.66 ± 0.04, P = 0.000).Conclusions Patients with active ankylosing sacroiliitis tend to have higher degree of blood flow in sacroiliac joints and lower RI values of artery.Color Doppler ultrasound may help to evaluate the activity of ankylosing sacroiliitis.