A Comparison of Radiographic Joint Space Width Measurements Versus Ultrasonographic Assessment of Cartilage Thickness in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Joint space narrowing (JSN) is a measurable outcome of tissue degeneration in arthritis. JSN is usually assessed by conventional radiography. Ultrasonographic (US) measurement of joint cartilage thickness has been validated in healthy children, and US measurement of the distal femoral cartilage has been validated in a group of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Our aim was to compare the measures of cartilage thickness of the proximal cartilage site in the second metacarpophalangeal (MCP), second proximal interphalangeal (PIP), and knee joints as assessed by US to joint space width (JSW) as measured by computerized radiography in children with JIA. METHODS: The study included 74 children with JIA aged 5-15 years (median 11.3 yrs). MCP and PIP joints were assessed at one midline spot. Knee joints were assessed at the medial and lateral femoral condylar areas. Only the proximal cartilage site in the joints was assessed by US, whereas the complete JSW was assessed by radiography. RESULTS: We assessed 136 second MCP, 138 second PIP, and 146 knee joints. We found a high level of agreement between US and radiographic measures of cartilage thickness and JSW: r = 0.82-0.86 (second MCP), r = 0.50-0.55 (second PIP), and r = 0.52-0.81 (knee); p < 0.001 for all 8 assessed sites. CONCLUSION: US measurements of cartilage thickness of the proximal site of the second MCP, second PIP, and knee joints correlated well with radiographic JSW measurements in the finger and knee joints of children with JIA. However, US does not measure the distal cartilage, which may limit its use in the assessment of JSN.

Joint cartilage thickness and automated determination of bone age and bone health in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

BACKGROUND: BoneXpert is an automated method to calculate bone maturation and bone health index (BHI) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Cartilage thickness can also be seen as an indicator for bone health and arthritis damage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation between cartilage thickness, bone maturation and bone health in patients with JIA. METHODS: Patients with JIA diagnosed according ILAR criteria included in a previous ultrasonography (US) study were eligible if hand radiographs were taken at the same time as the US examination. Of the 95 patients 67 met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Decreased cartilage thickness was seen in 27% of the examined joints. Decreased BHI was seen in half of the JIA patient, and delayed bone maturation was seen in 33% of patients. A combination of decreased BHI and bone age was seen in 1 out of 5 JIA patients. Decreased cartilage thickness in the knee, wrist and MCP joint was negatively correlated with delayed bone maturation but not with bone health index. CONCLUSION: Delayed bone maturation and decreased BHI were not related to a thinner cartilage, but a thicker cartilage. No relation with JADAS 10 was found. The rheumatologist should remain aware of delayed bone maturation and BHI in JIA patients with cartilage changes, even in the biologic era.

Cartilage thickness of the knee joint in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: comparative assessment by ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: The functional disability experienced in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is primarily caused by joint effusion, synovial membrane hypertrophy, and periarticular soft tissue edema, leading to the degeneration of the osteocartilaginous structures because of the inflammatory process in the synovium. The ability to visualize the inflammatory changes and hence the ensuing osteocartilaginous degeneration is, therefore, of great importance in pediatric rheumatology. Ultrasonography (US) has been validated as a tool for measuring cartilage thickness in healthy children and, previously, we have found good agreement with the measures obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our aim is to validate and compare US with MRI measurements of distal femoral cartilage thickness in the knee joint at the medial condyle, lateral condyle, and intercondylar spots in children with JIA, and to locate the best spot for imaging comparisons. METHODS: One knee from each of 23 children with oligoarticular JIA were investigated by both MRI and US. Outcome measures of imaging procedures were distal femoral cartilage thickness. RESULTS: We found a high level of agreement between MRI and US measurements of mean cartilage thickness, and Rho values between modalities were high (between 0.70 and 0.86, p < 0.05 for all). We found a thinner cartilage thickness at the medial condyle in comparison to the other investigated points. Evaluation of anatomical landmarks for optimal measurement of cartilage thickness was found to be the intercondylar spot, which was easier to locate in addition to a smaller variance around the mean for that anatomical measuring point. CONCLUSION: US measurements of distal femoral cartilage thickness are highly correlated to MRI measurements. The intercondylar notch of the distal femoral cartilage may be the best anatomical point for cartilage thickness measurements of the knee. US is a reliant and nonexpensive, non-invasive modality for visualization of childhood femoral cartilage.

Decreased cartilage thickness in juvenile idiopathic arthritis assessed by ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may result in disability, which is caused primarily by degeneration of the osteocartilaginous structures, due to the synovial inflammatory process. It is essential to closely monitor structural damage during the disease course. We aimed to compare ultrasound (US) measurements of joint cartilage thickness in 5 joints in children with JIA to our findings in an age- and sex-related healthy cohort regarding disease duration, joint activity, JIA subtype, age, and sex. METHODS: We clinically examined joint activity in 95 patients with JIA and collected parent and physician global assessments. Joint cartilage thickness was assessed by greyscale US in knee, ankle, wrist, metacarpophalangeal, and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints. Measurements were compared to reference values of a healthy cohort from a previous study. Medical records were reviewed for JIA subtype, treatment, and disease duration. RESULTS: Joint cartilage thickness was decreased in the knee, wrist, and second PIP joint in children with JIA compared with the healthy cohort (p < 0.001 for all). Patients with oligoarticular JIA had thicker cartilage than patients with polyarticular and systemic JIA. We also found decreased joint cartilage thickness in joints not previously affected by arthritis in children with JIA compared to the same joint in the healthy cohort. We found decreasing cartilage thickness with age and thicker cartilage in boys than in girls. CONCLUSION: Children with JIA have reduced cartilage thickness compared with children who do not have JIA, and children with polyarticular and systemic JIA have thinner cartilage than children with oligoarticular JIA.

[Primary cerebral vasculitis in children]. / Primaer cerebral vaskulitis hos børn.

INTRODUCTION: Primary cerebral vasculitis in children is a newly recognized, rare inflammatory condition affecting the vessels of the brain. It is characterized by newly acquired neurological deficit(s) with angiographic or histological evidence of central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis, in the absence of other known diseases with these findings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of children below 15 years submitted with CNS vasculitis to the department between 1999 and 2008. RESULTS: Six (two boys, four girls) of ten children with clinical and vascular imaging findings detected by magnetic resonance were diagnosed with primary CNS vasculitis. Age at onset was three to 12 years. Acutely acquired hemiparesis was seen in five children, two had facial palsy. Among other symptoms were headache, ataxia, dysarthria, loss of consciousness and seizures. Only modest changes in blood and spinal fluid values were seen. On magnetic resonance angiography, varying segmental stenoses were found. All had supratentorial lesions, and in two patients infratentorial lesions were also detected by MRI. Monthly treatment with high-dose intravenous corticosteroids for six months was successful in most of the patients. In two patients with progressive CNS vasculitis, the treatment was supplemented by intravenous cyclophosphamide and azathioprin, respectively. CONCLUSION: Primary CNS vasculitis is an acutely acquired inflammatory disease with severe neurological deficits and sequelae which may have a fatal outcome. Despite this the prognosis is acceptable since event-free survival can be achieved in almost 70% if early immunosuppressive therapy is initiated.