Using magnetic resonance angiography to measure abnormal synovial blood vessels in early inflammatory arthritis: a new imaging biomarker? Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can reliably detect synovial neovascularization in subjects with early inflammatory arthritis. METHODS: Subjects with 6 weeks to 6 months of clinical evidence of inflammatory hand arthritis had a radiograph, power Doppler ultrasound (PDU) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and contrast enhanced MRA performed on the more symptomatic hand. Ultrasound examination of the wrist and 2nd-5th metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints was scored for erosions, synovial thickening, and synovial blood flow. MRI were assessed using the OMERACT Rheumatoid Arthritis MRI Score (RAMRIS). MRA was used to assess the number of abnormal vessels in the 2nd-5th MCP and in the wrist. RESULTS: Of 30 subjects, 66.7% showed abnormal vasculature on MRA in the MCP and/or wrist; mean number of abnormal vessels was 5.24 (range 0-22). Number of abnormal vessels on MRA was strongly correlated with degree of blood flow seen in the corresponding area on PDU (r = 0.79, p

publication date

  • April 1, 2010

Research

keywords

  • Arthritis
  • Blood Vessels
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography
  • Synovial Membrane
  • Synovitis

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 77953216725

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.3899/jrheum.090063

PubMed ID

  • 20360190

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 37

issue

  • 6