MRI SPINAL LESIONS IN PATIENTS WITHOUT MRI OR RADIOGRAPHIC LESIONS IN THE SACROILIAC JOINTS TYPICAL OF AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS
Abstract: POS0153
Authors: W. P. Maksymowych et al.
Key content:
Patients with inflammatory back pain with no changes in the sacroiliac joints in MRI and X-rays are a diagnostic challenge. There is little data on the frequency of spinal changes in the MRI in such patients. This imaging study assessed the frequency of MRI lesions of the spine indicating axSpA, according to the presence of SI-joint MRI changes and sacroliitis on X-ray in a total of 51 patients with available MRI scans and X-rays. 9 central readers evaluated the images. Only 1 of these cases (3%) was positive on spine MRI but negative on SI-joint MRI and x-ray, by a majority of readers (≥5). Changes of the spine on MRI were more often found in patients with sacroiliitis on X-ray (New York criteria positive).
Relevance:
This data clearly shows, that isolated MRI changes in the spine with normal SI-joint on MRI and X-ray is an uncommon, rather rare finding.
