Award: Rheum for Kids: Pediatric Skin and Joint Grant in collaboration with PeDRA
Biography: Anna Costello, MD, MSHP, RhMSUS is an Instructor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania and Attending Physician in the Division of Rheumatology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Costello received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Brown University. She completed her pediatric residency, chief residency, and pediatric rheumatology fellowship at CHOP and her Master of Science and Health Policy Research at UPenn. She also completed a Fellowship in Diagnostic Excellence with the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine and is a board certified musculoskeletal ultrasonographer.
Dr. Costello’s research focuses on improving the diagnostic process for children with rheumatic diseases, particularly Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. She aims to improve the outcomes and quality of life for children with rheumatic disease by promoting timely, accurate, and equitable diagnosis using multidimensional clinical research skillset borrowing from health services research, patient-oriented outcomes research, diagnostic excellence methodologies, ultrasonography, prediction modeling, and implementation science. Clinically, she has an interest in the use of diagnostic and therapeutic musculoskeletal ultrasound and leads the Rheumatology Ultrasound Clinic.
Research Summary: Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis (JPsA) is a disease that affects children and can cause both arthritis and psoriasis. We have safe and effective medicines to treat this disease and to prevent the joint damage it can cause. However, it can take a very long time for children with JPsA to receive a diagnosis, and 30% of children already have joint damage by the time they are diagnosed. We think this is because the joint problems it causes can be very subtle with mild joint swelling and enthesitis, inflammation where the tendons attach to the bones. It is difficult for doctors to accurately identify enthesitis, one of the earliest signs of the disease, with physical exam. Even after diagnosis, it can be difficult to follow how active the disease is, which makes it difficult to decide when treatments need to be changed. Ultrasound is a safe tool that allows doctors to look at joints and tendons in the office. In adults, this technology has been used to help doctors detect early signs of JPsA. We want to understand the signs of JPsA in children to see if this could help us make earlier diagnoses and improve disease monitoring over time. In our study we will look at the joints, tendons, and nails of children with JPsA and psoriasis and compare them with healthy children. Our long-term goal is to make diagnosis faster and treatment better, so kids with JPsA can live healthier lives and avoid joint damage.
Links:
https://clinicalfutures.research.chop.edu/anna-costello-md-mshp-rhmsus
https://www.chop.edu/doctors/costello-anna