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Eshed I, Diekhoff T, Hermann KGA. Is it time to move on from pelvic radiography as the first-line imaging modality for suspected sacroiliitis? Curr Opin Rheumatol 2023; 35:219-225. [PMID: 36728773 DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000000925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Pelvic radiography in which structural lesions characteristic of sacroiliitis can be detected, is recommended as the first imaging modality when axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is suspected clinically. However, cross-sectional modalities like computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are superior to radiographs for diagnosing sacroiliitis. Thus, we currently debate the role of radiography as first imaging modality in the diagnostic workup of axSpA. RECENT FINDINGS Diagnosing sacroiliitis on pelvic radiographs is challenging with large interobserver and intraobserver variation. Low-dose CT (ldCT) of the sacroiliac joints (SIJs) was proved to be more sensitive and reliable than radiographs with comparable ionizing radiation exposure. MRI is the preferred modality for detecting early SIJ inflammation, well before structural lesions evolve. New, promising MRI sequences sensitive to cortical bone improve erosion detection, making MRI a one-stop shop for the diagnosis of sacroiliitis. SUMMARY Given the debatable additive value of pelvic radiographs for the detection of sacroiliitis, and the presence of excellent alternatives for imaging the bony cortex of the SIJs such as ldCT and MRI with state-of-the-art sequences sensitive to cortical bone, it is high time to discuss the use of these more accurate modalities instead of radiographs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Eshed
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Torsten Diekhoff
- Department of Radiology (CCM), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kay Geert A Hermann
- Department of Radiology (CCM), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
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Garcia Salinas R, Jaldin Cespedes R, Gomez RA, Aguerre D, Sommerfleck F. Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in South America. Burden of disease and differential features with respect to ankylosing spondylitis at time of diagnosis. A comprehensive analysis with a focus on images. Int J Rheum Dis 2022; 25:1169-1175. [PMID: 35891615 DOI: 10.1111/1756-185x.14399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) data from South America are scarce, especially regarding image features. Objective To estimate the frequency of nr-axSpA and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in a cohort of Argentinian patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) and to analyze the difference between both, with focus on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions, at diagnosis. METHODS Patients with LBP and a diagnosis of axSpA who participated in a reuma-check program were included. All patients with a suspicion of SpA were evaluated using blood analytics, HLA-B27, and images (MRI). Sociodemographic data, SpA features, diagnostic dela,y and clinimetrics were assessed by an operator who was blinded to the patient's test results. On MRI, the presence of SpA lesions was assessed and a concordance exercise was carried out between rheumatologists and radiologist. RESULT Of 198 LBP patients, 97 had axSpA, 54% of whom were nr-axSpA. A positive MRI was found in 50%. No difference in terms of disease activity, functional impact, laboratory or treatments between nr-axSpA and AS were found. Higher frequencies of male sex and chronic lesions on sacroiliac MRI were found in AS patients. In the logistic regression, an independent association with AS diagnosis was found: male (odds ratio [OR] 4.8), MRI fat replacement (OR 4.6), MRI sclerosis (OR 7.6), and diagnostic delay of more than 2 years (OR 10). The concordance between rheumatologists and radiologists was considered good to very good (κ 0.7-0.8). CONCLUSION The frequency of nr-axSpA was 54%. We found a higher frequency of being male, more SpA features, and a longer diagnostic delay in patients with AS. Patients with AS had more structural lesions, with a good concordance between rheumatologist and radiologist.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dario Aguerre
- Radiology Department, Hospital Italiano de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Fernando Sommerfleck
- Rheumatology Unit, Sanatorio Mendez, PANLAR: SPA Study Group, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Zhang Y, Guo Z, Wang L, Zhan Y, Qu J, Lei X. Baseline Severity of Sacroiliitis and Extensive Fat Metaplasia Predicts the Progression of Backfill at the Sacroiliac Joint in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:887470. [PMID: 35833133 PMCID: PMC9271670 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.887470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectivesFat metaplasia in an erosion cavity, also known as backfill, is an essential intermediary in new bone formation in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients; however, the predictors of backfill progression are unknown. This longitudinal study aimed to assess the predictors of backfill progression in axSpA patients on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsClinical and MRI data were collected at baseline and follow-up in 52 axSpA patients. Backfill progression was defined as the new or increased T1 hyperintensity within the SI joint space. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of the backfill progression.ResultsA total of 19 patients had “backfill” at baseline and 30 patients exhibited the backfill progression after follow-up. The mean disease duration and SPARCC scores at baseline were significantly different between patients with and without backfill progression (P<0.001, P=0.003, respectively). Patients with backfill progression had a higher frequency of backfill at baseline, a higher SSS score of fat metaplasia, and a higher SSS score of backfill than those without (P=0.001, P<0.001, and P=0.002, respectively). A higher fat fraction value in the fat metaplasia area at the baseline was more frequent in patients with, than without, backfill progression (P=0.019). In the univariate logistic regression analyses, a higher SPARCC score for inflammation and a higher SSS score for fat metaplasia at baseline were associated with backfill progression.ConclusionsSeverity of sacroiliitis and extensive fat metaplasia at baseline are predictors of the backfill progression in axSpA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Zhang
- Department of Radiology, First Central Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Imaging Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Zikang Guo
- Department of Radiology, First Central Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Imaging Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Lisong Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Zhan
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Imaging Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Jin Qu
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Imaging Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinwei Lei
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Imaging Medicine, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Xinwei Lei,
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Gezer HH, Duruöz MT. The value of SPARCC sacroiliac MRI scoring in axial psoriatic arthritis and its association with other disease parameters. Int J Rheum Dis 2022; 25:433-439. [PMID: 35080124 DOI: 10.1111/1756-185x.14285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess patients with axial psoriatic arthritis (AxPsA) using the Canadian Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium (SPARCC) sacroiliac joint (SIJ) scores and to seek correlations between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scores and disease characteristics. METHODS Forty PsA patients (32 females, mean age 46.4 years) who had been documented to have active or structural lesions on SIJ MRI were retrospectively evaluated. Disease duration, medications, and disease activity, including Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), minimal disease activity (MDA), and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) were recorded. On sacroiliac MRI scans, the SPARCC scores of sacroiliac joint inflammation (SIS) and sacroiliac joint structural damage (SSS) were evaluated. RESULTS The mean disease duration was 51.4 ± 70.4 months. MRI showed active inflammation in 30 patients (75%) and at least 1 structural lesion in 32 patients (92.5%). The most prevalent structural lesion was erosion (82.5%), followed by fat metaplasia (65%), backfill (12.5%), and ankylosis (2.5%). Only fat metaplasia scores were significantly higher in men than in women (P = .007). Of clinical and laboratory parameters, only C-reactive protein (CRP) was significantly higher in the presence of active inflammation (P = .01). The SIS score was significantly correlated with disease duration (r = -.35) and CRP levels (r = .42,). The SSS score was inversely correlated with BASDAI (r = -.37), ASDAS-CRP (r = -.39), and ASDAS - erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = -.32). The overall SPARCC scores did not differ between patients in DAPSA remission and non-remission and between those in MDA and non-MDA. CONCLUSION Although radiologic involvement is generally not severe in AxPsA, MRI still provides additional information about inflammatory activity and structural lesions. CRP may be helpful in monitoring the radiologic disease activity in AxPsA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halise Hande Gezer
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Tuncay Duruöz
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Marmara University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
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Liu D, Lin C, Liu B, Qi J, Wen H, Tu L, Wei Q, Kong Q, Xie Y, Gu J. Quantification of Fat Metaplasia in the Sacroiliac Joints of Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis by Chemical Shift-Encoded MRI: A Diagnostic Trial. Front Immunol 2022; 12:811672. [PMID: 35116037 PMCID: PMC8804375 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.811672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To study the diagnostic performance of chemical shift-encoded MRI (CSE-MRI) in the diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Methods CSE-MRI images were acquired for consecutive patients complaining of back pain as well as healthy volunteers. Proton density fat fraction (PDFF) values were measured independently by two readers. Diagnostic performance of CSE-MRI was analyzed by sensitivity analysis and ROC curve analysis. Logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate the risk factors of extensive fat deposition in the SIJs. Results A total of 52 r-axSpA patients, 37 nr-axSpA patients, 24 non-SpA patients and 34 healthy volunteers were included. Mean PDFF values in the SIJs of patients with r-axSpA and nr-axSpA (72.7% and 64.5%) were significantly higher than non-SpA patients and healthy volunteers (56.0% and 57.6%) (p<0.001). By defining extensive fat deposition in the SIJs as ≥8 ROIs with PDFF values over 70%, its sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing axSpA reached 72.47% and 86.21%%. By joining bone marrow edema (BME) with ≥8 ROIs (PDFF>70%), 22 (24.71%) and 23 (25.84%) more axSpA patients were classified as SIJ MRI (+) by reader 1 and 2, but specificities decreased by 15.52% and 10.34%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed longer disease duration as the independent risk factor of extensive fat deposition in SIJs (OR=1.15, 95%CI[1.03, 1.32]), while bDMARDs medication was a protective factor (OR=0.15, 95%CI[0.04, 0.51]). Conclusion CSE-MRI is a reliable tool to quantitively assess the fat metaplasia in the SIJs of axSpA patients. Extensive fat deposition in the SIJs could add incremental diagnostic value to BME, but at the cost of decreased specificities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liu
- Department of Rheumatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Churong Lin
- Radiology Department, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Budian Liu
- Department of Rheumatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Rheumatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huiquan Wen
- Radiology Department, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liudan Tu
- Department of Rheumatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiujing Wei
- Department of Rheumatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingcong Kong
- Radiology Department, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ya Xie
- Department of Rheumatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jieruo Gu
- Department of Rheumatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jieruo Gu,
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