Assessment of inflamed synovial membrane in the knee joint by dynamic magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (dynamic MRI) was used to examine the synovial membrane in the knee joints of 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in order to investigate the relationship between pathological and MRI findings. Signal intensities in the regions of interest (ROI), identified as the synovial membrane of the suprapatellar pouch, were measured on MR images. Signal intensities at various times after the injection of contrast medium Gd-diethylenetriaminopentoacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) were normalized relative to the signal intensity at 80 s, and designated as the normalized signal intensity (NSI).