How should we manage early rheumatoid arthritis? From imaging to intervention

Purpose of reviewRheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic and progressive inflammatory disorder of the synovium characterised by destruction of bone and cartilage. It is associated with significant morbidity and economic costs. Recent advances have shown that early diagnosis and timely, intensive therapy of rheumatoid arthritis can modify disease outcomes. Recent findingsCurrent investigations into the role of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging in early rheumatoid arthritis suggest these modalities will provide information to assist in the early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, identify poor prognostic factors, and aid in the monitoring of response to therapy. New developments in pharmacologic therapy, particularly the development of biologic agents, allow better disease control than was previously achievable, and the early application of these drugs in combination with conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs seems to produce the best outcomes. SummaryThe application of novel imaging techniques will aid the target application of biologic therapy within the window of opportunity and aid in the monitoring of response to therapy. This is likely to significantly decrease the rate of structural damage and offers hope of a future when the normal outcome for rheumatoid arthritis will be remission.

[1]  Alexander Fraser,et al.  Very early treatment with infliximab in addition to methotrexate in early, poor-prognosis rheumatoid arthritis reduces magnetic resonance imaging evidence of synovitis and damage, with sustained benefit after infliximab withdrawal: results from a twelve-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-contro , 2005, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[2]  D. M. van der Heijde,et al.  Combination of infliximab and methotrexate therapy for early rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, controlled trial. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[3]  M. Dougados,et al.  Detection of small joint synovitis by ultrasonography: the learning curve of rheumatologists , 2004, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[4]  A. McMahon,et al.  Effect of a treatment strategy of tight control for rheumatoid arthritis (the TICORA study): a single-blind randomised controlled trial , 2004, The Lancet.

[5]  Matthias Schneider,et al.  Diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging of the forefeet in early rheumatoid arthritis when findings on imaging of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the hands remain normal. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[6]  H. Thomsen,et al.  Ultrasonography of the metatarsophalangeal joints in rheumatoid arthritis: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging, conventional radiography, and clinical examination. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[7]  P. Hannonen,et al.  Retardation of joint damage in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis by initial aggressive treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: five-year experience from the FIN-RACo study. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[8]  R. Madhok,et al.  Lack of radiological and clinical benefit over two years of low dose prednisolone for rheumatoid arthritis: results of a randomised controlled trial , 2004, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[9]  F. Salaffi,et al.  Grey scale and power Doppler sonographic changes induced by intra-articular steroid injection treatment , 2004, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[10]  U. Lange,et al.  Three-dimensional power Doppler sonographic visualization of synovial angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis. , 2004, The Journal of rheumatology.

[11]  K. Eberhardt,et al.  Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee: a tool for prediction of joint damage in early rheumatoid arthritis? , 2004, Scandinavian journal of rheumatology.

[12]  N Benton,et al.  MRI of the wrist in early rheumatoid arthritis can be used to predict functional outcome at 6 years , 2004, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[13]  E. Rostrup,et al.  Magnetic resonance imaging of wrist and finger joints in healthy subjects occasionally shows changes resembling erosions and synovitis as seen in rheumatoid arthritis. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[14]  D. Cosgrove,et al.  Comparison of ultrasonographic assessment of synovitis and joint vascularity with radiographic evaluation in a randomized, placebo-controlled study of infliximab therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[15]  R. Buchbinder,et al.  A comparison of magnetic resonance imaging, sonography, and radiography of the hand in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. , 2004, The Journal of rheumatology.

[16]  Michael J. Green,et al.  Should oligoarthritis be reclassified? Ultrasound reveals a high prevalence of subclinical disease , 2004, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[17]  J. Darmawan,et al.  Ten-year radiographic outcome in patients with rheumatoid factor positive rheumatoid arthritis treated with aggressive immunosuppressive combination therapy. , 2004, The Journal of rheumatology. Supplement.

[18]  János Rédei,et al.  Use of multispectral magnetic resonance imaging analysis to quantify erosive changes in the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: short-term and long-term longitudinal studies. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[19]  L. Klareskog,et al.  Therapeutic effect of the combination of etanercept and methotrexate compared with each treatment alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: double-blind randomised controlled trial , 2004, The Lancet.

[20]  P. Emery,et al.  Validation and reproducibility of ultrasonography in the detection of synovitis in the knee: a comparison with arthroscopy and clinical examination. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[21]  Larry W. Moreland,et al.  Ultrasound detection of bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison to routine radiographs of the hands and feet , 2004, Skeletal Radiology.

[22]  P. Lipsky,et al.  Infliximab in active early rheumatoid arthritis , 2004, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[23]  P. Hannonen,et al.  Impact of initial aggressive drug treatment with a combination of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs on the development of work disability in early rheumatoid arthritis: a five-year randomized followup trial. , 2004, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[24]  Marcin Szkudlarek,et al.  New radiographic bone erosions in the wrists of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are detectable with magnetic resonance imaging a median of two years earlier. , 2003, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[25]  F. Kainberger,et al.  Diagnostic value of high-resolution B-mode and doppler sonography for imaging of hand and finger joints in rheumatoid arthritis. , 2003, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[26]  H. Bliddal,et al.  Effects of treatment with etanercept (Enbrel, TNRF:Fc) on rheumatoid arthritis evaluated by Doppler ultrasonography , 2003, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[27]  Michael J. Green,et al.  Elucidation of the relationship between synovitis and bone damage: a randomized magnetic resonance imaging study of individual joints in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. , 2003, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[28]  G. Jones,et al.  The effect of treatment on radiological progression in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled trials. , 2003, Rheumatology.

[29]  D Loreck,et al.  Prospective two year follow up study comparing novel and conventional imaging procedures in patients with arthritic finger joints , 2002, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[30]  P. Emery,et al.  Can very high-dose anti-tumor necrosis factor blockade at onset of rheumatoid arthritis produce long-term remission? , 2002, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[31]  Richard W. Martin,et al.  Etanercept versus methotrexate in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: two-year radiographic and clinical outcomes. , 2002, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[32]  J. Ilonen,et al.  Delay to institution of therapy and induction of remission using single-drug or combination-disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis. , 2002, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[33]  Rene Westhovens,et al.  COBRA combination therapy in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: long-term structural benefits of a brief intervention. , 2002, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[34]  C. Kneitz,et al.  High resolution ultrasound detects a decrease in pannus vascularisation of small finger joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving treatment with soluble tumour necrosis factor α receptor (etanercept) , 2002 .

[35]  M. Østergaard,et al.  Power Doppler ultrasonography for assessment of synovitis in the metacarpophalangeal joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison with dynamic magnetic resonance imaging. , 2001, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[36]  M. Walther,et al.  Correlation of power Doppler sonography with vascularity of the synovial tissue of the knee joint in patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. , 2001, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[37]  John D. Isaacs,et al.  The value of sonography in the detection of bone erosions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison with conventional radiography. , 2000, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[38]  Richard W. Martin,et al.  A comparison of etanercept and methotrexate in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. , 2000, The New England journal of medicine.

[39]  Michael J. Green,et al.  Persistence of mild, early inflammatory arthritis: the importance of disease duration, rheumatoid factor, and the shared epitope. , 1999, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[40]  D. Wakefield,et al.  Ciprofloxacin treatment does not influence course or relapse rate of reactive arthritis and anterior uveitis. , 1999, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[41]  Michael J. Green,et al.  The relationship between synovitis and bone changes in early untreated rheumatoid arthritis: a controlled magnetic resonance imaging study. , 1999, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[42]  F. McQueen,et al.  Magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist in early rheumatoid arthritis reveals progression of erosions despite clinical improvement , 1999, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[43]  Michael J. Green,et al.  MCPJ ASSESSMENT IN EARLY RA: A COMPARISON BETWEEN XRAY, MRI, HIGH RESOLUTION ULTRASOUND (HRUS) AND CLINICAL EXAMINATION , 1998 .

[44]  G. Loredo,et al.  ATP and UTP activate calcium-mobilizing P2U-like receptors and act synergistically with interleukin-1 to stimulate prostaglandin E2 release from human rheumatoid synovial cells. , 1998, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[45]  S. van der Linden,et al.  Randomised comparison of combined step-down prednisolone, methotrexate and sulphasalazine with sulphasalazine alone in early rheumatoid arthritis , 1997, The Lancet.

[46]  E. Larsson,et al.  Detection of joint pathology by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. , 1997, British journal of rheumatology.

[47]  M. V. van Leeuwen,et al.  Individual relationship between progression of radiological damage and the acute phase response in early rheumatoid arthritis. Towards development of a decision support system. , 1997, The Journal of rheumatology.

[48]  D. Heijde,et al.  Radiographie Progression on Radiographs of Hands and Feet During the First 3 Years of Rheumatoid Arthritis Measured According to Sharp’s Method (van der Heijde Modification) , 2018 .

[49]  M. V. van Leeuwen,et al.  Radiographic progression on radiographs of hands and feet during the first 3 years of rheumatoid arthritis measured according to Sharp's method (van der Heijde modification). , 1995, The Journal of rheumatology.