Daniel B Abrar1, Christoph Schleich1, Sven Nebelung1, Miriam Frenken1, Karl Ludger Radke1, Stefan Vordenbäumen2, Ralph Brinks2, Matthias Schneider2, Benedikt Ostendorf2, Dennis McGonagle3, Philipp Sewerin4. 1. Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, UKD, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. 2. Policlinic and Hiller Research Unit for Rheumatology, UKD, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. 3. NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. 4. Policlinic and Hiller Research Unit for Rheumatology, UKD, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. philipp.sewerin@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To evaluate the value of 3 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes of flexor tendon pulleys for the differentiation of psoriatic (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using a novel 16-channel high-resolution hand coil. METHODS: Seventeen patients with active PsA, 20 patients with active RA, and 16 healthy controls (HC) underwent high-resolution 3 T MRI using the dedicated 16-channel hand coil. Images were analyzed by three independent readers for the degree of inflammatory changes, thickness of flexor tendon pulleys, and comparison to the outcome measures for RA clinical trials (OMERACT) PsA MRI score (PsAMRIS) and to its sub-scores. For correlation analyses, Spearman rho correlation was calculated. RESULTS: Flexor tendon pulleys were thicker in PsA than in RA patients (mean difference 0.16 mm, p < 0.001) and HC (mean difference 0.2 mm, p < 0.001) and showed a higher degree of associated inflammatory changes (mean difference from RA 4.7, p = 0.048; mean difference from HC 14.65, p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a strong correlation of accessory pulley inflammation and PsAMRIS and its acute-inflammatory sub-scores, flexor tenosynovitis, synovitis, and periarticular inflammation (for the second digit synovitis ρ = 0.72, flexor tenosynovitis ρ = 0.7, overall PsAMRIS ρ = 0.72, p < 0.01). Similar robust correlations were evident in digits 3-5. Weaker correlations were evident in RA (synovitis ρ = 0.49, flexor tenosynovitis ρ = 0.49, periarticular inflammation ρ = 0.4). CONCLUSION: The assessment of MRI changes of flexor tendon pulleys is potentially beneficial for disease detection in PsA, as well as for its distinction from RA and HC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: 2014123117, December 2014.
BACKGROUND: To evaluate the value of 3 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes of flexor tendon pulleys for the differentiation of psoriatic (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using a novel 16-channel high-resolution hand coil. METHODS: Seventeen patients with active PsA, 20 patients with active RA, and 16 healthy controls (HC) underwent high-resolution 3 T MRI using the dedicated 16-channel hand coil. Images were analyzed by three independent readers for the degree of inflammatory changes, thickness of flexor tendon pulleys, and comparison to the outcome measures for RA clinical trials (OMERACT) PsA MRI score (PsAMRIS) and to its sub-scores. For correlation analyses, Spearman rho correlation was calculated. RESULTS: Flexor tendon pulleys were thicker in PsA than in RApatients (mean difference 0.16 mm, p < 0.001) and HC (mean difference 0.2 mm, p < 0.001) and showed a higher degree of associated inflammatory changes (mean difference from RA 4.7, p = 0.048; mean difference from HC 14.65, p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a strong correlation of accessory pulley inflammation and PsAMRIS and its acute-inflammatory sub-scores, flexor tenosynovitis, synovitis, and periarticular inflammation (for the second digit synovitis ρ = 0.72, flexor tenosynovitis ρ = 0.7, overall PsAMRIS ρ = 0.72, p < 0.01). Similar robust correlations were evident in digits 3-5. Weaker correlations were evident in RA (synovitis ρ = 0.49, flexor tenosynovitis ρ = 0.49, periarticular inflammation ρ = 0.4). CONCLUSION: The assessment of MRI changes of flexor tendon pulleys is potentially beneficial for disease detection in PsA, as well as for its distinction from RA and HC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: 2014123117, December 2014.
Authors: Christoph Schleich; Sven Nebelung; Philipp Sewerin; Daniel B Abrar; Ralph Brinks; Christine Goertz; Matthias Schneider Journal: Skeletal Radiol Date: 2020-08-26 Impact factor: 2.199