High frequency ultrasound: a novel instrument to quantify granuloma burden in cutaneous sarcoidosis

High frequency ultrasound: a novel instrument to quantify granuloma burden in cutaneous sarcoidosis

Authors

  • Megan H. Noe University of Pennsylvania http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8481-4711
  • Olaf Rodriguez Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
  • Laura Taylor University of Pennsylvania
  • Laith Sultan University of Pennsylvania
  • Chandra Sehgal Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania
  • Susan Schultz University of Pennsylvania
  • Joel M Gelfand University of Pennsylvania
  • Marc A. Judson Albany Medical Center
  • Misha Rosenbach University of Pennsylvania

Keywords:

sarcoidosis, non-caesating granuloma, high frequency ultrasound, disease severity instrument

Abstract

Background: As is the case for many skin diseases, cutaneous sarcoidosis does not currently have an objective measure of disease burden to establish disease severity and response to treatment. The disease has traditionally been assessed by visual skin changes, including induration and erythema; however, such assessments may fail to quantify the total skin granuloma burden, as the majority of the granulomatous inflammation may lie deep within the dermis and not be reliably detected by sight or palpation. Objectives: The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of high frequency ultrasound as an objective measure of granuloma burden in cutaneous sarcoidosis and to compare high frequency ultrasound to a previously validated clinical instrument Cutaneous Sarcoidosis Activity and Morphology Instrument (CSAMI) and histopathology evaluation. Results: A strong correlation was observed between the mean brightness of high frequency ultrasound images and both the lesional CSAMI score (Spearman’s rho: 0.9710, p=0.0012) and percent of dermis with granulomas histopathology (Spearman’s rho: 0.8407 p=0.0361).  Conclusions: These results confirm high frequency ultrasound is a valid, objective measure of granuloma burden in cutaneous sarcoidosis and represents a novel, non-invasive measure of disease severity that correlates to the previously validated CSAMI clinical severity score and histopathology evaluation. 

Author Biographies

Megan H. Noe, University of Pennsylvania

Clinical Instructor, Department of Dermatology

Olaf Rodriguez, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Medical student

Laura Taylor, University of Pennsylvania

Resident physician, Department of Pathology

Laith Sultan, University of Pennsylvania

Department of Pathology

Chandra Sehgal, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania

Professor, Department of Radiology

Susan Schultz, University of Pennsylvania

Department of Radiology

Joel M Gelfand, University of Pennsylvania

Professor, Department of Dermatology and Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Marc A. Judson, Albany Medical Center

Chief, Department of Medicine, Dividsion of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Misha Rosenbach, University of Pennsylvania

Asssistant Professor, Departments of Dermatology and Medicine

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Published

25-08-2017

Issue

Section

Original Articles: Clinical Research

How to Cite

1.
Noe MH, Rodriguez O, Taylor L, Sultan L, Sehgal C, Schultz S, et al. High frequency ultrasound: a novel instrument to quantify granuloma burden in cutaneous sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis [Internet]. 2017 Aug. 25 [cited 2025 Apr. 2];34(2):136-41. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/sarcoidosis/article/view/5720