Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasonography in Diagnosis and Follow up Rheumatoid Arthritis in Hand and Wrist Joints

Aim of the work: to compare the role of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of wrist joint affection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.  Patients and methods: this study included 50 patients diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis (41 females and 9 males) with mean age 43 years; they were subjected to high resolution ultrasound and MRI of the wrist joint for the dominant affected wrist clinically. Comparison and correlation between both modalities was done. Results:our results showed agreement between ultrasound and MRI in the assessment of synovial inflammation, activity and bone erosions in wrist joint in rheumatoid arthrtis patients. Conclusion: we concluded that both modalities were comparable and close to each others as regards the bony erosions and synovial hypertrophy and inflammation in the wrist joints in patient with rheumatoid arthritis and the ultrasound was useful tools in detection of erosions and synovial inflammation so can be used in patients without erosions on conventional x ray and also can be used in follow up and monitoring the patients with established diagnosis of rheumatoid.