MRI of the cervical spine: Rheumatoid arthritis compared with cervical spondylosis

doi:10.1016/S0009-9260(05)80498-2

Clinical Radiology

Volume 44, Issue 2, August 1991, Pages 71-76

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-9260(05)80498-2 Get rights and content

This study is a comparison of the cervical spine MR images from 26 patients with rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine with those from an age and sex matched group suffering from cervical spondylosis. Erosion of bone and major atlanto-axial subluxation were confined to rheumatoid arthritis. Soft tissue changes revealed by MRI included distortion of normal ligaments and bursae around the dens, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. Abnormal masses of soft tissue were found in both groups, but those suggesting acute inflammation were much more frequent in rheumatoid arthritis than in cervical spondylosis. Neural compression was well demonstrated, and in rheumatoid arthritis was usually caused by bony structures whereas in cervical spondylosis it was usually due to disc material.

It is concluded that MRI should be used as the first investigation to follow plain films in rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine. Bone and soft tissue changes are clearly shown, but interpretation of the images requires the recognition that some observed abnormalities may be due to coincidental cervical spondylosis.

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Original PaperMRI of the cervical spine: Rheumatoid arthritis compared with cervical spondylosis

Rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine: Surface-coil MR imaging

American Journal of Roentgenology

Brainstem compression in rheumatoid arthritis

Journal of the American Medical Association

Pre- and postoperative MR imaging of the craniocervical junction in rheumatoid arthritis

American Journal of Roentgenology

MR imaging of the cervical spine in rheumatoid arthritis

American Journal of Neuroadiology

Original Paper
MRI of the cervical spine: Rheumatoid arthritis compared with cervical spondylosis