MR Imaging for Evaluation of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hideharu Sugimoto; Akira Takeda; Kazusa Hyodoh

doi:10.1055/s-2001-15674

Seminars in Musculoskeletal Radiology, Table of Contents

Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2001; 05(2): 159-166
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-15674

MR Imaging for Evaluation of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hideharu Sugimoto¹ , Akira Takeda² , Kazusa Hyodoh³

¹Department of Radiology, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, Kanagawa-ken, Japan
²Department of Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Tochigi-ken, Japan
³Department of Radiology, Sapporo Medical School, Sapporo, Japan

Abstract

ABSTRACT

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), due to its superior contrast resolution and tomographic nature, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can depict soft tissue and joint involvement better than plain radiography. Active synovitis and pannus are shown by a wide variety of contrast on T1- and T2-weighted images. They are markedly enhanced by intravenous gadolinium-chelate injection. Fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging with gadolinium enhancement is the most sensitive technique to demonstrate these tissues. Compared with plain radiography, MR imaging is more sensitive and equally specific in the diagnosis of early RA compared with plain radiography. MR imaging is useful in the diagnosis and treatment of patients who are suspected of having early RA.

KEYWORD

Rheumatoid arthritis - magnetic resonance imaging - plain radiography

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