Revisiting jaccoud arthropathy as an ultrasound diagnosed erosive arthropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus

Jaccoud arthropathy (JA), now most commonly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is widely perceived as a benign joint deformity that is radiographically nonerosive and that confers little if any disability. Advances and accessibility of imaging modalities such as ultrasound (US) are challenging the complacency in perceiving SLE-JA and SLE arthritis as benign processes. Prompted by a patient with SLE-JA in which joint erosion was detectable on US but not evident on radiograph, this review assesses the potential utility of US to guide management and promote understanding of SLE arthritis and its poorly understood pathogenesis.