Can ultrasound-detected subclinical synovitis be an indicator of flare recurrence in juvenile idiopathic arthritis remission patients on tapered TNFi?

Objectives: Subclinical synovitis is often detected by musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients in clinical remission. The main objective of this prospective, observational, longitudinal, multicentre study was to evaluate the predictive value of MSUS-detected subclinical synovitis in relation to flares at 12 months following TNFi tapering in a JIA population in stable clinical remission.

Methods: We included 56 JIA patients in stable remission undergoing TNFi therapy tapered at baseline and in some cases at 6 months.