Magnetic resonance imaging in psoriatic arthritis

Abstract

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an infl ammatory joint disease characterised by presence of arthritis and often enthesitis in patients with psoriasis, but presenting a wide range of disease manifestations in various patterns. Imaging is an integral part of management of PsA, and is used for multiple reasons including establishing or confi rming a diagnosis of infl ammatory joint disease, determining the extent of disease, monitoring activity and damage, assessing therapeutic effi cacy, and identifying complications of disease or treatment, in the setting of clinical practice or clinical studies. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows assessment of all peripheral and axial joints involved in PsA, and can visualise both infl ammation and structural changes. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the status, strengths and limitations of MRI in PsA, in routine clinical practice and clinical trials.