Diagnostic Value of Hand Ultrasound in Assessment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Diagnostic Value of Hand Ultrasound in Assessment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common autoimmune rheumatic diseases, affecting one in 100 individuals worldwide. It is considered a complex systemic multifactorial inflammatory process in which the immune system targets synovial joints and causes mild to severe joint destruction with extra-articular manifestations.

If left untreated, RA leads to deformity, considerable disability, and major comorbid conditions, including cardiovascular disease and increased mortality.

Early treatment with targeted therapies can alter long-term outcomes by minimizing disease activity, preventing joint damage and disability, and improving patients' quality of life.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adult-onset disease.
2. Patients who fulfill the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any patient with any collagen disease rather than Rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Patients with joints deformities.