CONTRAST-ENHANCED MRI OF RHEUMATIC JOINT DISEASE

Early MR diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatic joint disease relies on t he detection of the proliferating synovium. Several studies have shown that reliable visualization of the inflamed synovium is dependent upo n the enhancement provided by intravenously injected paramagnetic cont rast media. This presentation discusses the role of contrast-enhanced MRI in the assessment of inflammatory rheumatic joint disease. It is c oncluded that the method may aid in early diagnosis, and that it has a great potential in the assessment of disease severity and inflammator y activity.