Relatively new to the diagnostic imaging world is the use of whole body magenetic resonance imaging (WBMRI). Just as the name suggests, this MRI is taken from the patient’s head to toes. While the image is comprehensive, the image resolution is lower than with standard MRIs. Even so, a recent study from the Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research gave preliminary indication that WBMRIs could help with detecting enthesitis in arthritic patients.

The study was performed on 36 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or axial spondyloarthritist (axSpA), as well as a control group of 12 healthy patients. Patients underwent a physical examination and an imaging session that included contrast enhancement and coronal slice orientation for spine, hip, knee and ankle, sagittal orientation for the neck, and axial orientation for the feet. One study summary identified that part of the study included determining whether or not the WBMRIs were “readable” or “not readable.” Readable enthesitis images were defined as “the presence of bone marrow edema, soft tissue edema, change in tendon thickness, erosions or enthesophytes in adjacent bones, and fluid in or around tendons or adjacent bursae.”

The study’s results showed that WBMRIs did indicate enthesitis in the PsA and axSpA patients more than the healthy patients and that enthesitis was identified in 17% of the readable sites through WBMRIs and clinical enthesitis was present in 22% of the readable sites. This study was the first of its kind, but has given hope to doctors that WBMRIs could help rule out other inflammatory diseases and perhaps help doctors with diagnoses and treatment plans.

If more studies are performed, a larger sample would be used and cost-effectiveness would become more of a consideration.