What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) compared to contrast-enhanced MRI for detecting synovitis.

April 17, 2026Open Access

Synovitis detection in rheumatology: a systematic review and meta-analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging

Key Points

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) compared to contrast-enhanced MRI for detecting synovitis.
Conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of CEUS and MRI studies
Compared diagnostic accuracy across different patient groups
Analyzed diagnostic performance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis versus other conditions.
CEUS showed diagnostic accuracy similar to that of MRI in most cases
Performance was lower in rheumatoid arthritis patients
CEUS is cost-effective and portable, making it a viable screening option.

Abstract

CEUS demonstrated diagnostic accuracy comparable to contrast-enhanced MRI, except in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Given its low cost, portability, and favorable safety profile, CEUS may serve as a useful screening or follow-up tool for synovitis, pending validation in larger multicenter studies.

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Cite This Study

Abreu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69e1cfcb5cdc762e9d858cb5 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-3180.2025.3088.11112025

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