Spondyloarthritis & psoriatic arthritis
Enhancing diagnostic accuracy in axial spondyloarthritis through centralised clinical and imaging evaluation: results from a prospective multicentre project
Authors' conclusion
Remote evaluation of clinical and imaging information by assessors with expertise in axSpA may support the diagnostic process in patients with suspected axSpA and help reduce the risk of misdiagnosis.
Study context
- Population
- Patients presenting to rheumatologists and orthopaedists with suspected axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA)cases of suspected axSpA
- Participants
- 969 patients
- Comparison
- Local diagnostic assessment vs centralised expert clinical and imaging evaluation
- Outcome
- Impact of centralised clinical and imaging evaluation on diagnostic assessment of suspected axSpA (presence or absence of axSpA)
Methodological detailscentral telemedicine platform, remote central expert evaluation
- Central telemedicine platform
- Remote central expert evaluation
Performance
As reported in the abstract
axSpA diagnosis
Further findings
Central evaluation among local axSpA diagnoses
- Confirmed as axSpA by central evaluation
- 142 (53.8%)
- Alternative cause of back pain (most commonly degenerative or mechanical) considered more likely
- 89 (33.7%)
Central evaluation among 319 locally assessed as no axSpA
- Considered no axSpA by central reviewers
- 265 (83.1%)
Drivers of discrepancy
- Interpretation of imaging findings as indicative of axSpA or not was a main driver of local–central discrepancy
Original publication
Enhancing diagnostic accuracy in axial spondyloarthritis through centralised clinical and imaging evaluation: results from a prospective multicentre project. Ann Rheum Dis. Published 9 July 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →