title: Prevalence and topographic distribution of spinal inflammation on MR imaging in patients recently diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary goal of this study was to determine the prevalence and topographic distribution of spinal lesions in lower thoracic and lumbar spine on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with recently diagnosed with spondyloarthritis. The secondary goal was to identify variables associated with vertebral patterns consistent with spondyloarthritis on MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 112 HLA-B27 positive patients with recently diagnosed spondyloarthritis were retrospectively included. There were 70 women and 42 men, with a mean age of 41 years±12 (SD) (range: 17-70years). Mean symptom duration was 1year (range: 0-7years). MRI examinations of sacroiliac joints and thoracolumbar spine were reviewed for the presence of bone marrow edema, chronic structural abnormalities, and vertebral patterns consistent with spondyloarthritis. Age, gender and disease duration of patients with vertebral patterns on MRI consistent with spondyloarthritis were compared with those without MRI signs of spondyloarthritis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-six patients (32.1%) showed spinal patterns of spondyloarthritis, including 16 patients (14.3%) with no associated inflammatory sacroiliitis. Posterior inflammatory lesions were present in 20.5% of patients. Posterior spinal inflammatory lesions were significantly associated with vertebral corner inflammatory lesions (P=0.03). There were no differences in age, sex or mean duration of symptoms between the two groups of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spinal involvement is observed in 32.1% of HLA-B27 positive patients with recently diagnosed spondyloarthritis and is not associated with sacroiliitis in 14.3%. Age, gender or symptom duration are not associated with spinal involvement on MRI.
authors.affiliation: Medical Imaging Department, Montpellier University Hospital, 191, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34 295 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Electronic address: larbi.ahmed@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larbi
authors.affiliation: Medical Imaging Department, Montpellier University Hospital, 191, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34 295 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Electronic address: b-fourneret@chu-montpellier.fr.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fourneret
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Montpellier University Hospital, 191, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34 295 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Electronic address: c-lukas@chu-montpellier.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lukas
authors.affiliation: Medical Imaging Department, Montpellier University Hospital, 191, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34 295 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Electronic address: mp-baron_sarrabere@chu-montpellier.fr.
authors.forename: M-P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.affiliation: Medical data processing department, hôpital Lapeyronie, 371, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34 295 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Electronic address: nicolas.molinari@inserm.fr.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.affiliation: Medical Imaging Department, Montpellier University Hospital, 191, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34 295 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Electronic address: p-taourel@chu-montpellier.fr.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Taourel
authors.affiliation: Medical Imaging Department, Montpellier University Hospital, 191, avenue du Doyen-Gaston-Giraud, 34 295 Montpellier cedex 5, France. Electronic address: c-cyteval@chu-montpellier.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cyteval
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen
keywords: Axial spondyloarthritis; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Musculoskeletal imaging; Spine