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Whole-body MR imaging for patients with rheumatism
European Journal of Radiology, 06/17/09

Weckbach S – This review article on whole-body MR imaging (WB-MRI) for patients with rheumatism is foused on spondyloarthropathies, and discusses the following topics:

A short overview on spondylarthopathies with clinical and imaging features.
Review of different imaging modalities for imaging of spondylarthopathies.
Current role of MRI in assessing spondylarthopathies and present a short overwiew on MR imaging in clinical trials.
Role of WB-magnetic resonance imaging in spondylarthopathies.
Other emerging potential applications of WB-MRI in rheumatism.

Review concludes that:

WB-MRI in rheumatic diseases is still an emerging imaging tool; so far mainly used in seronegative spondyloarthropathies
It has the ability to visualize the majority of involved joints and soft tissue structures
It is suitable for imaging of different forms of spondylopathies, allowing different types of joint involvement to be recognized
Its role in daily practice is not yet clear
WB-MRI is not recommended as a first line investigation in every patient suffering from a form of spondyloarthropathy
Moreover, WB-MRI might obtain a stronger role in the early diagnosis of spondyloarthritides and in the assessment of treatment response
Other rheumatic diseases where WB-MRI may play a role in the future are polymyositis, CRMO and forms of vasculitis

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