To explore the value of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
56 patients (24 men and 32 women) fulfilling the 2010 ACR/EULAR for RA, 34 with early RA, and 22 with established RA, (disease duration < 12 months, and >12 months, respectively) were enrolled in the study. MRI of the dominant hand and wrist was performed by using short time inversion recovery (STIR), plain and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted sequences. Evaluation of bone marrow edema, bone erosions and synovitis was performed with the OMERACT RA MRI scoring system.
Edema, erosions, and synovitis were present in early RA and established RA, and the prevalence was 88.2% (30/34), 91.1% (31/34), 100% (34/34) and 90.9% (20/22) , 95.4% (21/22), 100% (22/22) , respectively. But no significant difference was found in two group (P > 0.05). Significant differences in edema and erosions were found between earlier RA and established RA (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in synovitis (P > 0.05).
Bone marrow edema, bone erosions and synovitis are important sign of early RA. But bone edema and erosions in MRI may play an important role in the diagnosis of early RA.