title: [Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of early rheumatoid arthritis of hand and wrist].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the value of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  56 patients (24 men and 32 women) fulfilling the 2010 ACR/EULAR for RA, 34 with early RA, and 22 with established RA, (disease duration < 12 months, and >12 months, respectively) were enrolled in the study. MRI of the dominant hand and wrist was performed by using short time inversion recovery (STIR), plain and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted sequences. Evaluation of bone marrow edema, bone erosions and synovitis was performed with the OMERACT RA MRI scoring system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Edema, erosions, and synovitis were present in early RA and established RA, and the prevalence was 88.2% (30/34), 91.1% (31/34), 100% (34/34) and 90.9% (20/22) , 95.4% (21/22), 100% (22/22) , respectively. But no significant difference was found in two group (P > 0.05). Significant differences in edema and erosions were found between earlier RA and established RA (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in synovitis (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bone marrow edema, bone erosions and synovitis are important sign of early RA. But bone edema and erosions in MRI may play an important role in the diagnosis of early RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ridiology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
authors.forename: Hui-bo
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Li-fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: Ren-you
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology,Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing 100035, China. Email: bairongjie@126.com.
authors.forename: Rong-jie
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000473:pathology