Synovial membrane disease and imaging approach to inflammatory arthropathies: a literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53903/01212095.332Keywords:
Synovitis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Magnetic resonance imagingAbstract
Introduction: One of the crucial aspects for the appropriate management of patients with inflammatory arthropathies is early diagnosis, since, accompanied by effective and timely treatment, it can lead to remission of the disease. However, this is not an easy task, and even clinical information and biomarker-based approaches may be insufficient. Therefore, this article aims to describe the imaging findings associated with inflammatory arthropathies. Methods: A literature review was conducted using controlled vocabulary and free terms in PubMed, Embase, SciELO, and Google Scholar. Original and secondary studies in English or Spanish were included. Results: Initially, a general approach based on the ABCDEs for inflammatory arthropathies can be employed. Subsequently, focus should be directed towards specific radiological findings based on etiology and its characteristic features, the type of diagnostic imaging employed, and the affected joints. Conclusion: Diagnostic imaging plays a pivotal role in the diagnostic process, in addition to aiding in disease severity classification.
It is considered an essential tool for evaluating patients with suspected or diagnosed inflammatory
arthropathy.
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