[Usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of early rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective study of 20 cases].

Background: Diagnosing early rheumatoid arthritis is difficult and radiographic signs are often late. MRI detects erosions at an early stage and visualizes synovitis, bone edema and tenosynovitis.

Aim: To assess the value of MRI for diagnosis of early forms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: Prospective study involving 20 patients who had non erosive rheumatoid arthritis lasting for less than 2 years. MRI of the hand was performed by sequences coronal and axial T1-weighted, T2 with saturated fat signal (FatSat) FatSat and T1 with gadolinium injection.

Results: The median age of patients was 52 years and sex ratio M/F of 0.05. The median disease duration was 9 months. Ten patients had antibodies Anti-Cyclic citrullinated protein positive. The MRI was abnormal in 75% of patients. This review found 36 erosions which 50% were in carpal bones, 55 joints with synovitis mainly localized midcarpal and metacarpophalangeal. Bone edema was found mainly in carpal bones. Tenosynovitis affected most frequently the flexor tendons. Seventy percent of patients without anti-Cyclic citrullinated protein had a pathological MRI.

Conclusion: MRI has an important role in detecting infraradiological lesions in early RA. This contributes to early diagnosis and initiation effective treatment.