Early rheumatoid arthritis: a review of MRI and sonographic findings

OBJECTIVE: The introduction of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha agents has opened new prospects in therapeutic management of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis, thereby creating new demands on radiologists to identify patients with aggressive disease at an early stage. As a result, imaging techniques such as MRI and sonography have developed during the past few years. CONCLUSION: This article illustrates the imaging findings that may be encountered with these techniques in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.