Tomosynthesis of the Wrist and Hand in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Comparison With Radiography and MRI

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to compare tomosynthesis with radiography and MRI of the wrist and hand for evaluating bone erosion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS. Twenty consecutive patients with an established diagnosis of RA and five control patients were included in this study. They underwent radiography, tomosynthesis, and MRI of the bilateral hand and wrist within a week. The mean total dose of radiography and tomosynthesis was 0.13 and 0.25 mGy, respectively. MRI evaluation was performed according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials recommendations. Bone erosion on images from the three modalities was independently reviewed by two certificated radiologists with a 4-point scale (0, normal; 1, discrete erosion; 2, < 50% of the joint surface; and 3, ≥ 50% of the joint surface). RESULTS. The detection rates of bone erosion for radiography, tomosynthesis, and MRI were 26.5%, 36.1%, and 36.7%, respectively. Significantly more bone erosions ...