B-Scan Ultrasound Evaluation for Uveitis in Inflammatory Arthropathies: Systematic Review

The ocular inflammatory process may be associated with autoimmune inflammatory joint damage and can be better recovered by B-mode ultrasound, being little explored in the absent eye evaluation. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review using the Patients or Problem, Intervention, Control or Comparison, Outcomes strategy: uveitis; ultrasound, arthritis, and diagnosis. Clinical trials, meta-analysis, and randomized controlled trials that specifically address the scope of this study will be evaluated. For the search in the database, a choice of controlled vocabulary will be used with the MEDLINE MeSH platform (Medical Subject Headings). The articles must be dated from the year 2010 until the year 2020. To charting methods will be used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Flow Diagram and risk of bias: the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Grade of recommendation assessment: Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Group guidelines. Of 2909 studies, only 13 studies were included, which evaluated the use of B-mode ultrasound to assess anterior and intermediate uveitis and complications, and 5 cases showed an association of vitreitis. B-mode ultrasound can be an important benefit of complementing clinical evaluation in patients with the uveal inflammatory process associated with several autoimmune arthropathies, but more studies with better-elaborated methodology design will be necessary.

Cite this article as: Mendonça JA, de Figueiredo Torres Caivano R, Casani Rech I, Siste de Almeida Aoki I, Chagas Cavuto C. B-scan ultrasound evaluation for uveitis in inflammatory arthropathies: Systematic review. Eur J Rheumatol 2023;10(2):71-83.