Understanding the use of thermography and its ability to predict ultrasound-detected joint inflammation at the metacarpophalangeal joint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors' conclusion
Thermographic temperatures reflect ultrasound-detected joint inflammation, and appear useful in predicting PD vascularity at the MCPJs of patients with RA.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); Metacarpophalangeal joints (MCPJs) of each hand810 joints
- Participants
- 81 patients
- Exposure
- Summed thermographic temperatures vs summed ultrasound (power Doppler (PD) and grey-scale (GS)) scores at the MCPJs
- Outcome
- Correlation of summed thermographic temperatures with summed PD and GS scores, and their ability to predict summed PD score ≥ 1 and summed GS score ≥ 18
Methodological detailsROC curve analysis, correlation and simple linear regression
- ROC curve analysis
- Correlation and simple linear regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Correlation coefficients, summed thermographic temperatures with summed PD score (all p < 0.05)
- 0.45 to 0.52
- Correlation coefficients, summed thermographic temperatures with summed GS score (all p < 0.05)
- 0.26 to 0.29
- Regression coefficients, PD (p < 0.05)
- 0.094 to 0.137
- Regression coefficients, GS (p < 0.05)
- 0.058 to 0.086
- AUC, bilateral MCPJs, predicting summed PD score ≥ 1
- 0.80 to 0.82
- AUC, bilateral MCPJs, predicting summed GS score ≥ 18
- 0.65 to 0.66
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Intraobserver reliability (ICC), 45 baseline MCPJs resegmented > 2 weeks apart
- ICC values excellent
- all > 0.90
- Single observer
Original publication
Understanding the use of thermography and its ability to predict ultrasound-detected joint inflammation at the metacarpophalangeal joint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol. Published 29 August 2025. doi:10.
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