Richard Hodgson1, Peter Wright2,
Andrew J. Grainger2, Phillip J. O'Connor2, Phillip
Helliwell, Dennis McGonagle, Paul Emery, Matthew D. Robson3
1LMBRU, University of
Leeds, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom; 2Leeds Teaching Hospitals
NHS Trust; 3University of Oxford
Enthesitis is the hallmark of spondyloarthritis. 23 patients with SpA and 13 healthy volunteers were studied with DCE-MRI of the tendon and the calcaneal bone marrow at the Achilles enthesis. The relative early enhancement rate was significantly greater in SpA patients than healthy volunteers. The EER was significantly higher in patients with power Doppler ultrasound abnormalities. Tendon and bone changes were significantly correlated (R=0.6). In conclusion, DCE-MRI may be useful for assessing changes at the Achilles enthesis in spondyloarthritis.