REVIEW - What MRI has told us about the pathogenesis of RA - the first 50 years

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Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008, 10:222doi:10.1186/ar2512

Published: 10 October 2008

Review

What magnetic resonance imaging has told us about the pathogenesis of

rheumatoid arthritis – the first 50 years

Dennis McGonagle and Ai Lyn Tan

Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, University of Leeds and

Chapel Allerton Hospital, Chapeltown Road, Leeds, LS7 4SA, UK

Abstract

Modern imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),

are valuable diagnostic and therapy monitoring tools in rheumatoid

arthritis (RA). This article reviewed how these imaging modalities

have greatly improved our understanding of pathogenic mechanisms in

RA, namely the link between inflammation and damage. For example,

traditional paradigms regarding the mechanisms of joint destruction,

including the idea that synovitis and damage are uncoupled, have been

challenged. As the power of MRI increases, there is a need to define

normality since apparently normal joints occasionally exhibit MRI

evidence of synovitis in the absence of symptoms.

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Read the full article here:

http://arthritis-research.com/content/10/5/222

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