scholarly journals Bone erosions and bone marrow edema as defined by magnetic resonance imaging reflect true bone marrow inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 1118-1124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Jimenez-Boj ◽  
Iris Nöbauer-Huhmann ◽  
Beatrice Hanslik-Schnabel ◽  
Ronald Dorotka ◽  
Axel-Hugo Wanivenhaus ◽  
...  
2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
EWA OLECH ◽  
JOHN V. CRUES ◽  
DAVID E. YOCUM ◽  
JOAN T. MERRILL

Objective. To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting erosions, bone edema, and synovitis in the metacarpophalangeal and wrist joints for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods. MRI scans of bilateral hands and wrists of 40 healthy subjects and 40 RA patients were performed using 0.2 T extremity-MRI and read blindly using a modified RA MRI (RAMRIS) system (no contrast injection, imaging in 1 plane only). To determine interreader reliability, images of 10 randomly selected subjects were read independently by a musculoskeletal radiologist.Results. A total of 3360 bones were evaluated. Patients with RA had significantly more erosions as well as higher scores for bone edema and synovitis than healthy subjects. Age had a significant effect on the number of erosions in both groups. However, when disease duration was factored in, age became insignificant in RA patients. Erosion number correlated with positive rheumatoid factor and higher C-reactive protein values. The intraclass correlation coefficient between the 2 readers was 0.76 for individual joints and 0.88 for total scores. When having a single erosion was used as a positive test for RA, the sensitivity of this test was 90%, but the specificity was only 35%. Presence of bone edema provided 65% sensitivity and 82.5% specificity. Eliminating the lunate from scoring for bone edema increased the specificity to 87.5% while decreasing the sensitivity to 62.5%.Conclusion. While MRI is a highly sensitive tool for identifying and tracking the progression of erosions, erosions detected by MRI with measures commonly used in a rheumatologist’s office (no contrast, imaging in 1 plane) provide low specificity for RA. Bone marrow edema is the most specific MRI lesion for RA in this setting.


2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (8) ◽  
pp. 1709-1717 ◽  
Author(s):  
YASSER EMAD ◽  
YASSER RAGAB ◽  
IMAN BASSYOUNI ◽  
OMAR MOAWAYH ◽  
MAGDY FAWZY ◽  
...  

Objective.To describe enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and characteristic entheseal changes in the knees in patients with seronegative spondyloarthropathy (SpA).Methods.The 56 patients included 30 with psoriatic arthritis, 5 with ankylosing spondylitis, 5 with reactive arthritis, 5 with ulcerative colitis (UC), 5 with Crohn’s disease, and another 6 with skin psoriasis. Controls were 20 healthy subjects without knee complaints. MRI was performed in all participants, emphasizing entheseal sites.Results.Both knees were studied in 45 (80.3%) patients and one knee in 11 (19.6%). MRI showed evidence of bone marrow edema in 13 (23.2%) patients, cartilaginous erosions in 18 (32.1%), and bone erosions in 9 (16.1%). Enthesitis was found in medial collateral ligaments in 18 (32.1%), lateral collateral ligaments in 8 (14.3%), posterior cruciate ligaments in 3 (5.35%), patellar tendon in 18 (32.1%), biceps femoris insertion in 3 (5.35%), medial patellofemoral ligaments (MPFL) in 5 (8.9%), and lateral patellofemoral ligament in 1 patient (1.8%). In the UC and Crohn’s patients (n = 10), 2 had bone erosions and 5 had enthesitis. In the skin psoriasis group (n = 6), one had bone marrow edema; enthesitis was detected in 5 at the patellar tendon insertion and in one in the MPFL. Entheseal-related changes were absent in the controls.Conclusion.This is the first study showing entheseal-related changes in the knees in patients with inflammatory bowel disease or skin psoriasis without clinical arthritis. Enthesitis of the knee on MRI may be an early finding in SpA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1839.1-1839
Author(s):  
F. Ladeb ◽  
D. Ben Nessib ◽  
M. Bouaziz ◽  
W. Hamdi ◽  
E. Labbene ◽  
...  

Background:In view of the limited accuracy of clinical evaluation to recognize sacroiliitis, several imaging techniques such as conventional radiographs, scintigraphy, ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been used to examine the sacroiliac joints (SIJ).Objectives:The aim of this study was to assess the performance of MRI for detecting sacroiliitis in early stages of spondyloarthritis (SpA).Methods:This cross-sectional prospective monocentric double-blind study included 57 patients consulting for symptoms suggestive of SpA during more than 3 months between February 2014 and February 2017. Patients with conventional radiograph showing a confirmed sacroiliitis (grade 3 or 4) were not included. After clinical examination and blood sampling, eligible patients underwent MRI of SIJ. MR images were interpreted by 2 experimented musculoskeletal radiologists blinded to clinical and laboratory data. Two professors in rheumatology blinded to radiologists’ conclusions, analyzed clinical data, laboratory tests, HLA typing, X-rays and MRI images and divided the patients into 2 groups: confirmed non radiographic SpA (nr-SpA) or no SpA. This classification was considered as the gold standard when analyzing the results.Results:Fifteen men and 42 women were enrolled. The mean age at inclusion was 39.75 ± 11 years [17-59]. The mean duration from the first symptom was 47 ± 39 months [6.6-180]. Forty-three patients were assessed as nr-SpA (75.4%) and 14 patients as no SpA (24.6%). Thirty-three percent of patients were HLA B27 positive. Totally 22 patients had sacroiliitis at MRI, all of them classified as confirmed nr-SpA. Among the nr-SpA group, MRI showed bone marrow edema (BME) in 34.9% of patients and erosions in 44.2% of patients. Among the patients in whom the diagnosis of SpA was excluded, MRI showed bone marrow edema (BME) in 7% of patients and erosions in 7% of patients. A statistically significant association was observed between the presence of sacroiliitis at MRI and rheumatologists’ diagnosis of SpA (p=0.001). The diagnostic value of MRI lesions is presented in the following table:Sensitivity (%)Specificity (%)Positive Predictive Value (%)Positive Predictive Value (%)BME34.992.993.731.7Erosions44.292.99535.1MRI conclusion: sacroiliitis51.210010040Conclusion:SIJ MRI had an excellent specificity for the diagnosis of SpA but a moderate sensitivity. Consequently, some patients in early stages of SpA might be missed by MRI. In addition, we found that diagnostic based solely on BME lacked sensitivity. Detection of erosions in addition to BME enhanced sensitivity (from 34.9% to 44.9%) without changing specificity. Indeed, many recent studies have pointed out the importance of considering structural lesions of SIJ in addition to inflammatory lesions [1, 2].References:[1]Weber U, Lambert RGW, Pedersen SJ, et al (2010) Assessment of structural lesions in sacroiliac joints enhances diagnostic utility of magnetic resonance imaging in early spondylarthritis. Arthritis Care Res 62:1763–1771.https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.20312[2]Weber U, Jurik AG, Lambert RGW, Maksymowych WP (2016) Imaging in Spondyloarthritis: Controversies in Recognition of Early Disease. Curr Rheumatol Rep 18:58.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-016-0607-7Disclosure of Interests:None declared


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