State of the art of ultrasound in the assessment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

INTRODUCTION: Ultrasound (US) is a rapidly evolving technique that is gaining increasing success in the assessment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Recently, new research avenues have been opened, and these are focused on the potential of US for the assessment of extra musculoskeletal areas such as skin and nails. This permits work on the concept of 'holistic US assessment of PsA'. Areas covered: Here, we analyze the potential role of US in the global assessment of PsA. Additionally, we provide the current evidence supporting its application in routine clinical practice. Literature was obtained from medical databases including PubMed and Embase. Expert commentary: US can detect not only structural abnormalities but also minimal blood flow changes at the superficial soft tissue level. This makes it a great tool for the global assessment of disease activity in PsA, in which persistently active disease plays a major role in causing anatomical damage and physical functional disability.