Study: MRI Scans Foretell Severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis

MRI scans can help predict whether people already in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis will develop a more severe form of the disease, according to a team of New Zealand researchers.

Dr. Fiona McQueen of Auckland University School of Medicine and her colleagues followed 31 rheumatoid arthritis patients over six years and found that MRI scans of their wrists soon after the onset of the disease predicted x-ray findings up to six years later.

Although more expensive than x-rays, McQueen told the New Zealand Herald that MRI scans show the level of erosion of the joint about a year before an x-ray, and show water in the bone marrow and inflammation of the joints that do not even appear on x-rays.

"In a perfect world, this study suggests it would be useful to get an MRI of the wrist at that early stage to help predict who is going to be the person who is going to be crippled and in a wheelchair in 10 years," McQueen said.

These patients are the ones who should be treated with biologic drugs that reduce pain and inflammation and slow the progress of the disease, she added. She said the scans would be used along with current tests, including blood tests and x-rays.

Other sources: New Zealand Herald