Leeds BRC partners have had their research published in The Lancet: Rheumatology.
The team investigated if MRI-based Digital Artery Volume Index (DAVIX) could be used to measure vascular fibrosis and predict the amount of digital ulcer disease in patients with systemic sclerosis.
DAVIX is a non-invasive procedure which could offer the ability to predict future digital ulcers and improve patient outcomes. The sensitivity of DAVIX to change over time also offers its value as an imaging outcome to measure vascular disease as well.
Vascular fibrosis is a key manifestation of systemic sclerosis that leads to the narrowing of small and medium arteries, causing vascular clinical manifestations including digital ulcers and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The study is available to read in full online: LINK