THE ROLE OF ULTRASOUND IN RHEUMATOLOGY: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Sa？etak Diagnostic ultrasound plays an extremely important and frequently invaluable role in modern medicine. There is hardly any field of medicine that does not use ultrasound for diagnostic purposes. Its latest application was in rheumatology, where the 90s marked the beginning of its use in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Ultrasound has enabled the monitoring of early changes in cartilage, tendons, and bones, owing to technological progress which enabled the development of high-frequency probes. Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) is a diagnostic procedure with high possibilities. Its aim is the detection of early changes in the inflamed tissue, especially those that have a more aggressive potential. Thanks to ultrasound, changes that can lead to the damage of joints and joint-related structures can be detected much earlier than by radiogram or clinical examination alone