Combination of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging is an optimal way to evaluate rheumatoid arthritisin rats dynamically.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorder. Many methods have been used to observe the progress of RA. The purpose of this study was to observe the progress of RA in rats with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and arthritis score, and analyze the relationships among different methods in evaluation of RA.