Imaging Techniques: Options for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Treatment of Enthesitis in Psoriatic Arthritis

Abstract

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) affects up to 30% of patients with psoriasis and may include musculoskeletal manifestations such as enthesitis. Enthesitis is associated with joint damage, and early detection and treatment are essential to management of the disease. Traditionally assessed by clinical examination and conventional radiography, entheseal inflammation can now be more accurately assessed earlier in the disease using techniques such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and molecular imaging. However, there is little consensus on the optimum definition for diagnosing enthesitis in PsA or on the ideal scoring system for measuring response to treatment. This review aims to summarize the benefits and limitations of different imaging modalities in the assessment of enthesitis. It also proposes that adoption of standardized definitions and validation of scoring systems and imaging techniques in clinical trials will allow the efficacy of new treatment options to be assessed more accurately.