Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that predominantly affects the skin, joints, and nails. The main objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of sonoelastographic assessment for evaluating nail involvement and psoriasis severity.

Thirty one psoriasis patients and 31 healthy control participants were involved in the study. The nail thickness and nail bed thickness of the thumbs of all the participants were measured by gray scale ultrasonography. The values of strain elastography were also measured by sonoelastography.

Out of the study participants, 38 were male and 24 were female. No significant difference was seen between the patient and control group participants in terms of gender and age. In the patient group, the mean duration of infection was 13.87 ± 9.8 years, mean psoriasis area severity index (PASI) score was 5.53 ± 2.38, and mean nail psoriasis severity index (NAPSI) score was 33.97 ± 37.99. The thickness of the nail plate and elastography strain ratios were statistically higher in the psoriasis group as compared to the control group. Also, a significant connection between elastography strain ratios and nail thickness (P = .014), nail bed thickness (P < .001) and NAPSI scores (P = .01) was seen.

It was concluded that because of the superiority of ultrasound in real-time imaging of the nail structure and the compatibility of sonographic elastography with clinical scores, it can be used as a complementary method in the evaluation of the nail bed involvement.

Source: Asil K, Yaldiz M. Diagnostic role of ultrasound elastography for nail bed involvement in psoriasis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(50):e17917. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000017917