Value of joint scintigraphy in the prediction of erosiveness in early rheumatoid arthritis.

T T Möttönen, P Hannonen, J Toivanen, A Rekonen, M Oka

Department of Medicine, Central Hospital, Jyväskylä, Finland.

The value of scintigraphy in predicting development of new erosions in small peripheral joints was studied by visual evaluation of scintigrams and by three computerised methods. In 13 patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis a total of 387 joints were examined clinically, scintigraphically, and radiographically. The follow up period was 24 months. Four eroded joints in three patients were found at the onset. Of the joints which were to become eroded, 46/47 were scintigraphically active at all the check ups. Erosions were detected earlier in foot joints than in finger joints. New erosions were especially prone to appear in joints with persisting and high scintigraphic activity. On the contrary, inactive joints by repeated scanning never eroded. Scintigraphic and clinical activity and radiographic erosiveness correlated significantly with each other. The sensitivity and specificity of visual scintigraphic assessment and the relative pixel activity method proved to be superior to the region of interest methods and clinical evaluation for prediction of erosiveness.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Duer, A, Ostergaard, M, Horslev-Petersen, K, Vallo, J (2008). Magnetic resonance imaging and bone scintigraphy in the differential diagnosis of unclassified arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 67: 48-51 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fisher, B. A. C., Frank, J. W., Taylor, P. C. (2007). Do Tc-99m-diphosphonate bone scans have any place in the investigation of polyarthralgia?. Rheumatology (Oxford) 46: 1036-1037 [Full Text]  
• Klarlund, M, Østergaard, M, Jensen, K E, Madsen, J L., Skjødt, H, Lorenzen, I, the TIRA group, (2000). Magnetic resonance imaging, radiography, and scintigraphy of the finger joints: one year follow up of patients with early arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 59: 521-528 [Abstract] [Full Text]