In-office magnetic resonance imaging to monitor responses to therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Low-field extremity magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been developed as an alternative method for detecting inflammatory changes and structural damage associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Studies have shown that extremity MRI is able to predict future joint damage in patients with early RA and is more sensitive than conventional radiography at detecting joint erosions. This report uses four different cases to illustrate how extremity MRI can be used to monitor disease activity and inform treatment decisions during the management of RA in the routine clinical practice setting.