New from PubMed:

Researchers at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin assessed the reliability of the synovitis score as a standardized grading system in the diagnosis of chronic joint disease. The system is based on an evaluation of three features of chronic synovitis: enlargement of synovial lining, density of synovial stroma, and inflammatory infiltrate. A synovitis score is measured on a scale from 0-9. By comparing the synovitis score to the more precise measurement method of computer-assisted image analysis (CAIA), researchers were able to determine whether the synovitis score is accurate and reliable. The study enrolled patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis, as well as healthy patients for a control group. Seventy-one synovial specimens were collected and evaluated using both the synovitis score and CAIA. CAIA scores were transformed to an analogous value to the synovitis score and the two values were compared. Based on the data, researchers assert that the synovitis score is a reliable grading system in diagnosing chronic joint inflammation and is validated by CAIA.

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