Lavinia Agra Coletto, Valentina Marino, Chiara Rizzo, Natacha Goulas, Pietro Rubortone, Lucrezia Verardi, Emanuela Gaggiano, Dario Bruno, Arianna D'Antonio, Marco Gessi, Clara Di Mario, Barbara Tolusso, Laura Bui, Roberta Benvenuto, Maria Sole Chimenti, Giuliana Guggino, Francesco Ciccia, Roberto Caporali, Elisa Gremese, Marco Maria Lizzio, Maria-Antonietta D'Agostino, Stefano Alivernini
OBJECTIVES: To develop an intensive training programme for ultrasound (US)-guided synovial tissue (ST) biopsy on knees and wrists in inflammatory arthritis and to assess the learning curve, patient tolerability, sample quality and trainees' expectations. METHODS: Active or remission rheumatoid arthritis patients were enrolled. Nine trainees joined the 4-month programme in a centre experienced in performing US-guided ST biopsies consisting of four sequential phases: (1) observation, (2) performance of guided step-by-step phases, (3) execution of the whole procedure on paired joints (knees or wrists) of the same patient in parallel with the trainer and (4) performance of the procedure autonomously...
February 13, 2024: RMD Open