Key clinical point: Intermetatarsal (IMB) and submetatarsal (SMB) bursitis are associated with and specific for early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with IMB having the highest sensitivity.
Major finding: IMB (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.5; P less than .001) and SMB (aOR, 2.2; P = .041) were associated with RA. Sensitivity for RA of IMB and SMB was 69% and 25%, respectively. Specificity of IMB vs. other arthritides and healthy controls was 70% and 84%, respectively. Specificity for SMB was 94% (vs. other arthritides) and 97% (vs. healthy controls).
Study details: The findings are based on a large case-controlled magnetic resonance imaging study of 157 patients presenting with early RA, 284 other arthritides, and 193 healthy controls.
Disclosures: The study was supported by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Dakkak Y et al. Arthritis Res Ther. 2020 Nov 23. doi: 10.1186/s13075-020-02359-w.