Nail Enthesis Ultrasound in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: A Report from the 2016 GRAPPA Annual Meeting

Abstract

Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is gaining favor in the evaluation of enthesitis in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Imaging modalities have shown that the enthesis of the distal interphalangeal joint has a close relationship to the nail itself. Studies have focused on the structure and morphology of nails to determine an association between psoriasis nail changes and the presence or severity of PsA. With the use of higher frequency probes, power Doppler (PD) can determine subclinical inflammation of the area under ultrasound examination. At the 2016 meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), we proposed an ultrasonographic index for the assessment of the nail enthesis to identify the morphologic and PD findings of the nail, with the potential that both rheumatologists and dermatologists can use it to evaluate their patients.

Keywords: GRAPPA; MUSCULOSKELETAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY; NAIL BED; NAIL PLATE; PSORIASIS; PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS.