Conventional Radiology in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

In clinical practice, the conventional radiography is still the radiologic method for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Moreover, it provides a quick overview of the symptomatic joints to narrow the differential diagnosis and to evaluate progression. RA is a polyarticular disease with bilateral and symmetric involvement of the peripheral joints, especially small joints, and less frequently, the cervical spine. The radiologic features are soft tissue swelling, periarticular osteoporosis, erosions, loss of joint space, and in advanced disease, osteolysis and typical subluxations or deformities, such as ulnar deviation.