Page 41 - MRS Abstracts March 2023

The Impact of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Use in a District General Hospital Rheumatology Department
M. Loh (Rheumatology Registrar), J.Trickey (Consultant Rheumatologist)
Aim:
To look at how MSK ultrasound (US) service impacts on the management of newly presented arthralgia in rheumatology clinic.
Methods:
We looked at patients seen in US clinic between December 2022 to February 2023. Patients who attended for routine follow up, joint injection or DNA’d were excluded. 34 newly presented arthralgia patients were included in the study.
Results:
Among those 34 patients, 76.5% (n=26) were seronegative while 23.5% (n=8) were seropositive. 55.9% (n=19) of the patients had osteoarthritis on US. 26.5% (n=9) showed synovitis while 8.8% (n=3) had tendinitis. 50% (n=4/8) of seropositive patients had evidence of synovitis on US. On the contrary, only 19% (n= 5/26) of seronegative patients demonstrated synovitis on US.
35% (n=12) of new patients were discharged from the clinic. 23.5% (n=8) were started on DMARDs while 6% (n=2) were treated with intra-articular injection. 1 patient had their DMARD stopped.
Conclusion:
MSK ultrasound plays a significant role in managing rheumatology patients presenting with arthralgia. Not only does it influence the treatment options, but it also facilitates discharge. In this study, osteoarthritis is the most common finding. The detection of synovitis is more prevalent in seropositive patients.