In Practice

By Professor Johan L. Bloem, MD, Chairman of the Radiology Department, Musculoskeletal Imaging Project Leader, and Wouter Stomp, MD, Researcher, Radiology Department, Leiden University Medical Center

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic

RA is a systemic disease affecting

treated in a very early stage in order to

inflammatory and autoimmune disorder

multiple organ systems. It is two to

prevent further damage—rather than

that most often affects the small joints

three times more common in women

just treating symptoms. The key factor

in hands and feet. RA primarily afflicts

than in men and generally occurs

driving this move is the adoption of

the synovial lining of the joints, causing

between the ages of 40 and 60.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha blockers,

a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosions and joint deformity. In addition to causing joint problems,

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Treatment options have expanded greatly in the past few decades and this disease is increasingly being

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which have only become widely available in the last decade. One of the major problems with early treatment is

AUTUMN 2011

In Practice

The Impact of a Dedicated MSK MR System in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Professor Johan L. Bloem, MD is a Professor, Director of the Residency Program, and Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Leiden University Medical Center.

identifying RA patients among the

we asked patients from the early

unable to maintain an awkward position

much larger group of early arthritis

arthritis clinic to help determine the

required with imaging on a full-body

patients. MR is a very sensitive imaging

role of MR for non-specific early

system. With the dedicated extremity

technique that may play an important

arthritis. Over a period of two years,

MR scanner, they can comfortably sit

role in this identification process.

patients with a possible diagnosis of

in a chair next to the scanner.

For many years, radiographs have been the standard imaging technique to follow RA progression. However, radiographs only show structural bone

RA will be examined with MR at several time intervals. Currently, the first patients are receiving their one-year follow-up examination.

We are acquiring several images of the wrist and metacarpophalyngeal joints: coronal T1 and T2-weighted images, and coronal and axial fat-suppressed

damage in the form of erosions, which

As one of the first institutions in Europe

T1-weighted images. The images are

are a relatively late event in the disease.

to implement a dedicated 1.5T extremity

then evaluated for the presence of

MR, in addition to erosions, also directly

MR from GE Healthcare, much effort has

bone erosions, bone marrow edema,

shows synovitis (inflammation of the

gone into optimizing the sequences

synovitis, and tenosynovitis. Evaluation

synovial membrane), tenosynovitis

and protocols for optimal image quality

is standardized by using the OMERACT

(inflammation of the fluid-filled cover

and imaging times. The images we

RAMRIS (Outcome Measures in

called the synovium that surrounds

obtain from the dedicated scanner

Rheumatology Clinical Trials/

a tendon), and subchondral changes.

have a very high quality, often surpassing

Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic

These inflammatory features are the

that of full-body 1.5T systems for

Resonance Imaging Score), which

main process in RA. As a further

MSK applications.

was developed for MR in RA.

One critical issue is the availability of scan

The clinical cases presented on the

capacity on our whole-body magnets.

following pages demonstrate the

By using the dedicated extremity MR,

clinical utility and excellent image

patients can be scanned in the same

quality of the high-field, dedicated

week, and often on the same day as

extremity MR. We prefer to utilize this

their initial visit.

scanner for our patient evaluations

advantage, MR has been shown to be more sensitive to erosions than conventional radiographs.1,2,3,4 The absence of erosions on MR has a high (80%) negative predictive value for developing RA.5,6,7 At the outpatient clinic of the rheumatology department at Leiden University Medical Center (Leiden, Netherlands),

Patient comfort is another important factor. Arthritis patients present with

based on scanner availability, patient comfort and high-quality imaging.

painful, swollen joints and are sometimes

Wouter Stomp, MD is a researcher in the radiology department at Leiden University Medical Center.

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Case 1 Early stage of pathology: Patient suffers from painful feet, right shoulder, and proximal interphalangeal joints (PIP) 4; treated with Arthrotec, Celebrex. Physical exam demonstrated swelling and pain PIP 4. Differential diagnosis of RA, reactive arthritis, and undifferentiated arthritis. Prior X-ray demonstrates minimal erosive changes of the first carpometacarpal joint and scaphotrapezial joint (Figure 1). MR findings Figure 1. X-ray demonstrates minimal erosive changes of the first carpometacarpal joint and scaphotrapezial joint.

Coronal T1-weighted (Figure 2A), and coronal (Figure 2B) and axial (Figure 2F) T1-weighted, fat-suppressed, MR

Figure 2. MR findings for early-stage RA.

images of the wrist show multiple erosions in the carpal bones, including a large erosion in the capitate bone. MR of the metacarpal phalangeal joints (MCP) is unremarkable (Figure 2C, Figure 2D). Coronal T2-weighted MR (Figure 2E)

Figure 2A. Wrist coronal T1

Figure 2B. Wrist coronal T1 fat-suppressed

Figure 2C. MCP coronal T1

of the forefoot shows bone marrow edema proximal and distal of the first metatarsal phalangeal joint (MTP).

Figure 2D. MCP coronal T1 fat-suppressed

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Figure 2E. MTP coronal T2-weighted MR

Figure 2F. Wrist axial T1 fat-suppressed

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In Practice

Patient history

Figure 3. MR findings for synovitis and bone marrow edema.

Case 2 Patient history Synovitis and bone marrow edema; seronegative polyarthritis; possible RA; differential diagnosis of gout or polymyalgia rheumatic. Patient treated with Arcoxia, started on Methotrexate. Physical exam shows pain and swelling of the wrist, MCP 1,2,3 and PIP 3,5. X-ray demonstrates normal hands Figure 3B. Wrist axial T1 fat-suppressed

without erosions. MR findings Coronal (Figure 3A) and axial (Figure 3B) fat-suppressed, T1-weighted images show synovitis of the radio-ulnar,

Figure 3A. Wrist coronal T1 fat-suppressed

radiocarpal, intercarpal, and carpometacarpal joints with tenosynovitis of the flexor tendons. Several small erosions are observed in the carpal bones. The MCP joints (Figure 3E, Figure 3F) appear normal. Coronal T1 (Figure 3C) and T2-weighted (Figure 3D) MR images of the forefoot show an erosion in the third proximal

Figure 3C. Foot coronal T1

Figure 3D. Foot coronal T2 fat-suppressed

Figure 3E. MCP coronal T2-weighted MR

Figure 3F. MCP coronal T1 fat-suppressed

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phalanx with no other abnormalities.

AUTUMN 2011

Case 3

Figure 4. MR findings for late-stage RA.

Patient history Late stage RA, seropositive erosive RA. Patient complained of symptoms for destruction of the MCP joints. Patient treated with Methotrexate since Figure 4A.

September 2010; physical exam

Figure 4B.

shows swelling of MCP 2. MR findings Coronal (Figure 4E–H) and axial (Figures 4A–D, Figure 4F) T1-weighted, fat-suppressed MR shows extensive synovitis with joint destruction in the Figure 4C.

wrist, including the first, second, third,

Figure 4D.

and fifth MCP, and fifth PIP joint. Figure 4. MR findings for late-stage RA.

Figure 4E.

Figure 4F.

Figure 4G.

References:

Figure 4H.

4. Haugen I K, Boyesen P, Slatkowsky-Christensen B, et al. Comparison of features by MRI and radiographs of the interphalangeal finger joints in patients with hand osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2011-200028.

1. Chen T S, Cruess III JV, Ali M, Troum O M. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Is More Sensitive Than Radiographs in Detecting Change in Size of Erosions in Rheumatoid Arthritis. HYPERLINK “http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16881098” \l “#” \o “The Journal of rheumatology.” J Rheumatol. 2006 Oct;33(10):1957-67. Epub 2006 Aug 1.

5. McQueen F M, Benton M, Crabbe J, et al. What is the fate of erosions in early rheumatoid arthritis? Tracking individual lesions using x rays and magnetic resonance imaging over the first two years of disease. Ann Rheum Dis 2001;60:859-868.

2. Duer-Jensen A, Vestergaard A, Dohn U M, et al. Detection of rheumatoid arthritis bone erosions by two different dedicated extremity MRI units and conventional radiography. Ann Rheum Dis 2008;67:998-1003 doi:10.1136/ard.2007.076026

6. McQueen F M, Dalbeth N. Predicting joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis using MRI scanning. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2009, 11:124 (doi:10.1186/ar2778) 7. Ostergaard M, Ejbjerb B, Szkudlarek M. Imaging in early rheumatoid arthritis: roles of magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, conventional radiography and computed tomography. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology 2005.19(1):91-116.

3. Ejbjerb B J, Vestergaard A, Jacobsen S, Thomsen H, Ostergaard M. Conventional Radiography Requires a MRI-estimated Bone Volume Loss of 20% to 30% to Allow Certain Detection of Bone Erosions in Rheumatoid Arthritis Metacarpophalangeal Joints. Arthritis Research & Therapy. 2006;8(3):R59 © 2006 BioMed Central, Ltd. Posted: 04/07/2006

Johan (Hans) L. Bloem, MD, is a Professor, Director of the Residency Program, and Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Leiden University Medical Center. He is an active member in various professional organizations including ESR, RSNA, ISS, ESSR, ISMRM, ESMRMB, and Erasmus (EMRI). Professor Bloem’s research focus is on musculoskeletal radiology in the areas of oncology and degenerative and inflammatory joint disease. He has received numerous grants, regularly lectures at international meetings, and published 11 books, nine educational audio-visual programs, and 147 scientific articles in the published peer-reviewed literature. Wouter Stomp, MD, is a researcher in the radiology department at Leiden University Medical Center, pursuing his PhD on the use of MR for the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Stomp earned his medical degree at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and completed an internship and extracurricular internship in radiology at Deventer Hospital. He also completed a pediatric surgery internship at Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital. The Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) is one of eight university medical centers in the Netherlands and employs 7,000 people. Patient care is focused on highly specialized and top-level clinical care, including organ transplants, cardiovascular interventions, and all types of bone marrow transplants. The research conducted in the LUMC is both fundamental and patient- and care-oriented. A considerable portion of the research focuses on the translation from fundamental research to use in patient care. The Department of Radiology has a longstanding tradition in scientific research at the interface of technological innovations and healthcare. The aim is to develop imaging technologies that can be used in patients for diagnostic purposes or as instruments to increase the understanding of diseases.

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In Practice

15 years; X-ray demonstrates extensive