RESEARCH - Using extremity MRI to assess and monitor early RA: optimal joint combination to be scanned in clinical practice

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J Rheumatol. 2008 Mar 1 [Epub ahead of print]

Using Extremity Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess and Monitor Early

Rheumatoid Arthritis: the Optimal Joint Combination to Be Scanned in

Clinical Practice.

Olech E, Freeston JE, Conaghan PG, Hensor EM, Emery P, Yocum D.

From the University of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma

City, Oklahoma; Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA; and

the Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, Chapel Allerton

Hospital, Leeds, UK.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the optimal combination for detecting erosions

in early rheumatoid arthritis using extremity magnetic resonance

imaging (eMRI). METHODS: In 44 patients, eMRI of 1 hand identified 77%

who were erosive, 2 hands 89%, and 2 hands and feet 91%. RESULTS:eMRI

identified 4 times as many erosions as radiography. At 6 months, eMRI

of 1 hand identified an increase in erosions in 50% subjects, 2 hands

in 55%, and 2 hands and feet in 55%. When only subjects with a change

in erosion score above the smallest detectable difference were

considered, these numbers were 30%, 25%, and 20%, respectively.

CONCLUSION:eMRI provides superior erosion identification compared to

radiography. Imaging 2 hands can be used as a screening tool and 1

hand to monitor erosions over time.

PMID: 18322995 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18322995

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