title: Diagnosis of early-stage rheumatoid arthritis: usefulness of unenhanced and gadolinium-enhanced MR images at 3 T.
abstract: Forty-one consecutive unclassified arthritis patients with polyarthralgia including wrist joint were evaluated with 3-T MRI as possible early-stage rheumatoid arthritis (RA). After prospective follow-up, 21 of 41 patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Synovitis was detected in all 21 RA patients (sensitivity=100%) with postcontrast MRI and in 14 patients (67%) with unenhanced MRI when none of them fulfilled ACR diagnostic criteria. Fat-suppressed intermediate-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) image showed high detection rate of synovitis and bone erosion, whereas FIESTA image clearly delineated joint fluid and bone trabeculae. MRI at 3 T is a potentially powerful tool for discriminating and managing early-stage RA patients.
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Occupational and Environmental, Health, Kitakyushu, Japan. a-taka@med.uoeh-u.ac.jp
authors: Takatoshi
authors: T
authors: Aoki
authors: Yoshiko
authors: Y
authors: Yamashita
authors: Kazuyoshi
authors: K
authors: Saito
authors: Yoshiya
authors: Y
authors: Tanaka
authors: Yukunori
authors: Y
authors: Korogi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005682:Gadolinium; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C062402:gadoteridol; D005682:Gadolinium