Abstract
New criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were proposed by the ACR/EULAR (American College of Rheumatology/European League against Rheumatism) in 2010 to detect patients with early-stage RA. In this study, the ability of ultrasonographic assessments of the joints to discriminate individuals with RA from those without RA in health evaluation and promotion was investigated. The subjects consisted of 10 patients with morning stiffness and a positive reaction for serum rheumatoid factor. Seven patients were excluded, as they did not have joint swelling according to the newly proposed criteria. The remaining 3 patients had joint swelling and a score of over 6 according to the ACR/EULAR 2010 scoring system. Two patients had blood flow signals when examined using the power Doppler method as well as positive reactions for anti- CCP antibody and acute phase reactants. The other patient did not have a blood flow signal when examined using the power Doppler method and was diagnosed as having Sjögren's syndrome. Ultrasonographic assessments of the joints are useful for identifying individuals with early-stage RA in health evaluation and promotion settings.
