A Narrative Review of the Design of Ultrasound Indices for Detecting Enthesitis.

With the increased utilization of musculoskeletal ultrasound in clinical practice, there has been rapid proliferation of publications on sonographic evaluation of enthesitis. This has led to the development of multiple new approaches to scoring sonographic findings in the detection of enthesitis, with variations including entheseal sites and sonographic features that limit cross-study comparisons. Furthermore, despite efforts to standardize the definition of enthesitis, there is still heterogeneity in the sonographic features included in existing ultrasound scores, and additional adjustments are required to distinguish active inflammatory changes from non-inflammatory conditions and to adjust for demographic features associated with increased prevalence of abnormal sonographic findings.

A Systematic Review of the Inclusion of Non-Inflammatory Ultrasonographic Enthesopathy Findings in Enthesitis Scoring Indices.

Ultrasound has advanced the diagnosis and management of patients with inflammatory rheumatic conditions. It can be used to identify and monitor enthesitis, a cardinal feature of spondyloarthropthies. Several enthesitis scoring systems utilizing ultrasound to determine entheseal involvement have been developed.

A Narrative Review of the Classification and Use of Diagnostic Ultrasound for Conditions of the Achilles Tendon.

Enthesitis is a cardinal feature of spondyloarthropathies. The Achilles insertion on the calcaneus is a commonly evaluated enthesis located at the hindfoot, generally resulting in hindfoot pain and possible tendon enlargement. For decades, diagnosis of enthesitis was based upon patient history of hindfoot or posterior ankle pain and clinical examination revealing tenderness and/or enlargement at the site of the tendon insertion.

An update on stem cell transplantation in autoimmune rheumatologic disorders.

Stem cell transplant (SCT) has long been the standard of care for several hematologic, immunodeficient, and oncologic disorders. Recently, SCT has become an increasingly utilized therapy for refractory autoimmune rheumatologic disorders (ARDs). The efficacy of SCT in ARDs has been attributed to resetting an aberrant immune system either through direct immune replacement with hematopoietic stem cells or through immunomodulation with mesenchymal stem cells.