Open AccessMolecular Characterization of Rheumatoid Arthritis With Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Author(s) -
Jeffrey T. Gu,
Linda Nguyen,
Abhijit J. Chaudhari,
J. D. MacKenzie
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
topics in magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.547
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1536-1004
pISSN - 0899-3459
DOI - 10.1097/rmr.0b013e31825c062c
Subject(s) - magnetic resonance imaging , molecular imaging , positron emission tomography , rheumatoid arthritis , medicine , magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging , radiology , nuclear magnetic resonance , in vivo , physics , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Several recent advances in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may transform the detection and monitoring of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These advances depict both anatomic and molecular alterations from RA. Previous techniques could detect specific end products of metabolism in vitro or were limited to providing anatomic information. This review focuses on the novel molecular imaging techniques of hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI, MRI with iron-labeled probes, and fusion of MRI with positron emission tomography. These new imaging approaches go beyond the anatomic description of RA and lend new information into the status of this disease by giving molecular information.