Impact of subclinical synovitis in ankles and feet detected by ultrasonography in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of subclinical synovitis detected by ultrasonography (US) on the ankles and feet of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients (n = 59) who underwent US. RESULTS: The functional ability and quality of life (QoL) of patients in the subclinical group were impaired. While the physician visual analog scale (VAS) scores significantly decreased in the subclinical group, patient and pain VAS scores significantly decreased only in patients without synovitis. CONCLUSION: US-detected subclinical foot and ankle synovitis considerably affected patient functional status and QoL; however, it was often unnoticed by physicians.