Rheumatology Medical News about in-office MRI;responses to therapy in RA

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In-office magnetic resonance imaging to monitor responses to therapy in rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatology International, 04/29/09

Gaylis NB et al. - This report uses 4 different cases to illustrate how extremity MRI can be used to monitor disease activity and inform treatment decisions during the management of RA in the routine clinical practice setting.

Methods

Imaging was performed using a dedicated portable MagneVu or C-Scan extremity MRI system
Images were acquired using 3D volume T1-weighted and short TI inversion recovery (STIR) sequences or coronal 3D T1 and STIR and axial T1

Results

In-office MRI is approximately twice as sensitive as conventional radiography
Extremity MRI exhibits higher sensitivity in the detection of erosions in metacarpal heads and carpal bones vs conventional radiographs
Advantages of extremity MRI over other available imaging techniques include:
- its low cost
- convenience to the patient and
- high sensitivity
Superior sensitivity of MRI to detect erosive changes may prove cost-effective in the long term
MRI results can provide reassurance regarding decisions in therapies
Extremity MRI should therefore be considered as a routine tool for monitoring disease activity and response to therapy in pts with RA

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