Yearly MRI needed for RA? | Arthritis Information

 

Does anyone's doctor have them get yearly MRI's? I just got one on hand/wrist and it showed progression/erosion but I was very swollen when I had the MRI, so I'm thinking it might have given a false reading. Any thoughts/experiences?? My RD says she likes to have yearly MRI's of the hands. It is the way to measure progression. Just that I never got mine because I had other health problems that distracted her. So... next visit I think she is sending me off for one, at least that is what she said LOL!

swelling is not going to have an effect on showing erosions...if anything it would cover the erosions up..so if they showed on MRI then you have them I don't know about everyones insurance sitiuation, but a yearly MRI would mean I would have to pay my deductable every year for sure. That would be a lot of money. I haven't had a MRI yet, just Xrays. I can't wait until my next appointment. So many things I hear here I want to inquire about with my Rheumy.No yearly MRIs here. Actually, I've never had one. Sounds like you have a doc who's johnny-on-the-spot and wants to make sure they cover all their bases so they have all the info needed to really treat your RA aggressively. That's a great thing to have, cause some docs actually look at you when you're in pain and struggling and shrug it off saying, "I've seen worse." I'm sorry to hear about your erosions. That just sucks...I'm curious about the use of mri's for RA progression.  Wouldn't a visual exam, labwork and x rays be telling?  Unless, maybe mri reports are used to decide whether to start a biologic or the next drug option on the ladder of RA drugs, and helpful in getting insurance approval.  Just wondering with the increasing cost of health care, if some of these technologies might be overused.

Is there ladder of RA drugs? I mean what comes first, second etc? I would be interested to know.

I was diagnosed 32 years ago, so things have changed quite a bit since then.   Joie2009-02-05 21:14:08I believe, if I remember correctly, that having yearly MRI's of my hands would show how aggressive it is/was. So... I am guessing she sees me as an aggressive case? I never really cared to ask her. I did ask her why yearly MRI's she said to check progression of my RA. It is kinda like my other RD in 2000 she liked 6 month x-rays of my hands & feet. http://www.rheumatology.org/publications/guidelines/recommendations.asp?aud=mem

 

here you go.....

I've only had a couple of MRIs and I can't remember why they were done.  The erosion in my hands went very fast and you could practically track the progression just by looking at them.  But this was before those wonderful biologics came along.  My docs only used x-rays to get an internal picture of what was going on. 
Hummm... now that makes me wonder why my RD would want yearly MRI's of my hands. Do my hands look that bad that she thinks there is erosion? I mean they look not like normal hands to me, but they are not painful and work well, according to me anyways. Work well when the Remicade is in me.

 

I guess I will remind her of the MRI on my hands when I go back to her this month. Seems right to start the Year off with an MRI of hands. Last year it was of my brain... yeah make all the jokes ya want, but there was a brain in there, as pea sized as it might have been.

 

I am sorry about your hands, Binge... but they got a new lease on life. I hope they seem that way for you, too.

Xrays always showed the damage and MRIs of my hands weren't required.  When I achieved clinical remission my RD ordered an MRI of hands and wrists to more closely look for synovial fluid.  No excess fluid is a definite sign of CR and we both wanted to be sure that I met all of the criteria of CR and that I truly was in CR.  Lindy LinB2009-02-06 09:48:27I too am curious about the use of MRIs and how daily changes affect their reading. Since I am newly diagnosed, my doc prefers the MRI to X-ray because it shows more minute erosion as well as allows her to see the inflammation in the synovium.

 

My doc said she would do an MRI, but once she saw the labs she started me on prednisone/plaquenil and left the MRI alone. Then when I didn't respond very quickly to the pred, she again wants an MRI. Now the doc extended my prednisone, the swelling is nearly gone. I am curious what an MRI would tell at this point???

 

Tink - I'll second what Joie said about the Arthritis Foundation. My RD recommended the site to me. You can order a free copy of the Arthritis Today 'Just Diagnosed' issue. It has a lot of basic information about drugs/drug classes, what to expect in the first two years after diagnosis, etc. This forum is really helpful, but sometimes the info is over my head at this point - that issue helped me to put the different drugs into perspective.

 

Binge - hoping technology is now treating you and your hands well, even if you didn't get the advantage of new meds early.

 

Mo

I have only ever had 2 MRI's in 13 years but have had 3 cat scans and loads of xrays.
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