Assessment of sacroiliitis by radiographs and MRI: where are we now?
OBJECTIVE
Both MRI and plain radiography are used to assess sacroiliitis. A weakness of radiography - apart from its inability to detect early disease - is reader variability. On the contrary, experience with MRI is relatively limited by comparison.


RESULTS
This review summarizes recent advances in sacroiliac joint imaging using radiography and MRI in spondyloarthritis.


CONCLUSIONS
Observer variation in reading radiographs of sacroiliac joints remains an unresolved issue. In recent years, more studies on MRI in the diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis have become available. Incorporating structural lesions in the sacroiliac joint and spine and inflammatory lesions in the spine in the definition of a positive MRI are hot topics in research.
aDepartment of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center bWalaeus Library, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Floris A
FA
van Gaalen
Pauline A C
PA
Bakker
Manouk
M
de Hooge
Jan W
JW
Schoones
Désirée
D
van der Heijde
D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D015588:Observer Variation; D011859:Radiography; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D058566:Sacroiliitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology