EULAR recommendations for the reporting of ultrasound studies in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs)

Abstract

ObjectiveTo produce European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations for the reporting of ultrasound studies in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).MethodsBased on the literature reviews and expert opinion (through Delphi surveys), a taskforce of 23 members (12 experts in ultrasound in RMDs, 9 in methodology and biostatistics together with a patient research partner and a health professional in rheumatology) developed a checklist of items to be reported in every RMD study using ultrasound. This checklist was further refined by involving a panel of 79 external experts (musculoskeletal imaging experts, methodologists, journal editors), who evaluated its comprehensibility, feasibility and comprehensiveness. Agreement on each proposed item was assessed with an 11-point Likert scale, grading from 0 (total disagreement) to 10 (full agreement).ResultsTwo face-to-face meetings, as well as two Delphi rounds of voting, resulted in a final checklist of 23 items, including a glossary of terminology. Twenty-one of these were considered ‘mandatory’ items to be reported in every study (such as blinding, development of scoring systems, definition of target pathologies) and 2 ‘optional’ to be reported only if applicable, such as possible confounding factors (ie, ambient conditions) or experience of the sonographers.ConclusionAn EULAR taskforce developed a checklist to ensure transparent and comprehensive reporting of aspects concerning research and procedures that need to be presented in studies using ultrasound in RMDs. This checklist, if widely adopted by authors and editors, will greatly improve the interpretability of study development and results, including the assessment of validity, generalisability and applicability.

Ultrasound features of Achilles enthesitis in psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review

“…Additionally, very few studies adjusted for potential confounders in the analysis of results, which is now partly addressed in the EULAR recommendations under the reporting of ‘contextual factors’ (e.g. exercise, alcohol, caffeine and smoking) [ 16 ].…”

“…Recommendations for authors of future studies reporting Achilles tendon/entheses features in PsA include using the most up-to-date, reliable definitions and scoring for US features (currently Balint et al [ 7 ]), report both the number of entheses and the number of participants affected to allow for synthesis of results and use the 2021 EULAR recommendations [ 16 ] as a guide for reporting US protocols and procedures.…”

“…During the development of this review the 2021 EULAR recommendations for the reporting of US studies in RMDs [ 16 ] were published. Although the EULAR recommendations were not intended for scoring published work, we believed it was important to incorporate aspects of the new consensus-based checklist (specifically around scoring and measurement reporting) into the review design in the absence of any validated scoring criteria.…”

“…Thus it is important that studies adopt contemporary standardized definitions, employ validated scoring systems and systematically describe US scanning protocols. The EULAR recommendations for the reporting of US studies in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) [ 16 ] are the first to provide a checklist to aid the reporting of US imaging in rheumatology research. The checklist covers domains such as the blinding of sonographers, scanning acquisition and scoring, equipment (e.g.…”

Current Practice of Imaging-Guided Interventional Procedures in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases: Results of a Multinational Multidisciplinary Survey

“…Over the last decades, imaging has been increasingly used in the diagnostic and therapeutic workup of patients with suspected or established rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) (1,2). Historically, conventional radiology was the most widespread technique in the field; however, the advent of other methodologies enabling an earlier detection of abnormalities and a more detailed assessment of anatomical structures prompted their implementation in clinical practice (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10). Musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS), for example, is commonly used by rheumatologists and radiologists, albeit to a different extent across countries (11,12).…”