Rheumatic Disease

Studies from Chapel Allerton Hospital update current data on arthritis

Rheumatic Disease Library Library Home This article was published in Pain & Central Nervous System Week, which you can subscribe to online.

"The use of extremity magnetic resonance imaging (eMRI) offers the possibility of improved disease assessment because of greater patient tolerability The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the identification of wrist erosions in a severe rheumatoid arthritis cohort by eMRI with a restricted field of view (eMRI-RV) to radiography and high field MRI, using the latter as the reference Fifteen patients (87% female, median age 56 years) with active rheumatoid arthritis (median DAS28 7.01 and disease duration 11 years) on leflunomide were enrolled. Radiography of hands, eMRI-RV (0.2 T MagneVu MV 1000) and high field MRI of unilateral wrist joints were performed Of 86 comparable wrist joint areas, high field MRI identified 70 erosions, eMRI-RV 32 and radiography 4," wrote J.E. Freeston and colleagues, Chapel Allerton Hospital.

The researchers concluded: "With high field MRI considered the reference, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of eMRI-RV for erosions were 46%, 94% and 55%, and the corresponding values for x ray were 6%, 100% and 23%, respectively In severely damaged rheumatoid arthritis joints, sensitivity of erosion detection was markedly higher for eMRI-RV than radiography, using high field MRI as the reference. eMRI-RV was, however, less sensitive than high field MRI."

Freeston and colleagues published their study in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (Does extremity-MRI improve erosion detection in severely damaged joints? A study of long-standing rheumatoid arthritis using three imaging modalities Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2007;66(11):1538-40).

For additional information, contact J.E. Freeston, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, Chapeltown Road, Leeds LS7 4SA, UK.

The publisher of the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases can be contacted at: B M J Publishing Group, British Med Association House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JR, England.

Keywords: United Kingdom, Leeds, Arthritis, Rheumatic Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis.

This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.