Subclinical Enthesopathy in Psoriasis—An Ultrasonographic Study

Abstract

The present study is aimed at assessing the presence and prevalence of subclinical entheseal changes in Psoriasis (PsO) patients using musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US), conjoined with the analysis of possible differences in terms of demographic, clinical, or biological features. We carried out an observational study on 54 patients with PsO and 40 controls. Subclinical enthesopathy, according to OMERACT definitions, was identified in 20 of the psoriasis patients (37.03%), a significantly difference compared to the controls (5 patients; 10.20%). A comparison between US examinations for psoriasis patients and controls indicates that all the examined areas manifested changes in a significantly higher percentage of patients than the controls. The most common structural changes were represented by thickened tendon (85%), calcification (65%), erosions (35%), power Doppler (PD) signal (20%), and bursitis (5%). The difference in mean MASEI (Madrid Sonographic Enthesitis Index) score between the psoriasis and control groups was statistically significant (10.56 + 2.96 vs. 2.9 + 2.20; p < 0.0001). In conclusion, ultrasound is an easily accessible and vital follow-up method for psoriasis patients to enable an early, subclinical detection of entheseal involvement, i.e., the first red-flag sign for a future transition to psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Keywords

• psoriasis
• ultrasonography
• enthesis
• MASEI