Subclinical synovitis impact on the progression of lupus joint disease: A 10-year longitudinal multicenter study.

Objective: To determine the effect of subclinical synovitis on the progression of joint disease in a cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus over a mean follow-up of 10 years.

Methods: A longitudinal follow-up of 96 patients diagnosed with lupus was performed. All patients were considered clinically free of joint disease or with minimal joint impairment at baseline and were studied through ultrasound study of their dominant hand to assess the prevalence of subclinical synovitis.