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Low‐field compact magnetic resonance imaging system for the hand and wrist in rheumatoid arthritis
Author(s) -
Yoshioka Hiroshi,
Ito Satoshi,
Handa Shinya,
Tomiha Sadanori,
Kose Katsumi,
Haishi Tomoyuki,
Tsutsumi Akito,
Sumida Takayuki
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.20501
Subject(s) - medicine , coronal plane , wrist , magnetic resonance imaging , synovitis , rheumatoid arthritis , metacarpophalangeal joint , radiology , fast spin echo , nuclear medicine , surgery , thumb
Purpose To investigate the feasibility of an originally developed compact MRI system for evaluating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and determine its advantages and disadvantages as an imaging modality for evaluating RA. Materials and Methods We prospectively studied 13 healthy controls with no clinical symptoms of arthritis, and 13 patients with hand and wrist pains (including pain from RA) with a 0.2 T permanent‐magnet compact MR imager. All MR images were obtained while the subjects were in a sitting position. Coronal three‐dimensional spin‐echo T1‐weighted images and coronal two‐dimensional short tau inversion recovery (STIR) images were obtained with image matrix = 256 × 128 and field of view (FOV) = 20.48 cm. Plain radiograph findings and MRI findings of patients were compared. Results In three of the patients with suspected early RA ( N = 7), early RA was evaluated based on STIR images. All RA patients showed morphologic or signal intensity changes that allowed an evaluation of RA from MR findings. Four of five RA patients showed high signal intensity on STIR images in the wrist, proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, or metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint that suggested synovitis. Multiple erosions in the hand and wrist were seen in four RA patients, with low signal intensity on T1‐weighted images. Conclusion RA was correctly evaluated, and early RA could be identified with the compact MRI system. However, the current system has limitations, such as the nonselective STIR sequence used and magnetic field inhomogeneity. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.