For years psoriatic arthritis was considered part of the spectrum of rheumatoid arthritis. The classification of psoriatic arthritis as a “rheumatoid variant” persists today. However, the radiographic manifestations, along with clinical and laboratory data, establish psoriatic arthritis as a separate…
In the practice of rheumatology, rheumatoid arthritis is considered the everyday disease. It is a symmetrical arthritis of the appendicular skeleton, sparing the axial skeleton except for the cervical spine. The common radiographic findings are as follows: 1. Periarticular soft…
In evaluating the spine, one observes the size, shape, and mineralization of the different vertebral bodies. These parameters become abnormal in various systemic diseases. For example, a large vertebral body is seen in Paget disease, a flattened vertebral body in…
The sacroiliac (SI) joint is perhaps the most difficult joint in the skeleton to image adequately to make an accurate diagnosis of a disorder affecting it. This is partially due to obscuration of the joint by multiple overlying soft tissue…
Pain in the shoulder is a common problem affecting all ages of the general population. It is the second most common cause of musculoskeletal pain. Radiographic diagnosis of the disease entity causing nonspecific pain begins with evaluation of how the…
As in the hip, the diagnosis of a disorder of the knee depends foremost on the evaluation of true joint space involvement. This evaluation is made most accurately through an anteroposterior (AP) standing view of the knee and a flexed…
The assessment of hip pain depends on a systematic review of a quality anteroposterior (AP) view of the pelvis. The femurs should be internally rotated approximately 15 degrees, the pelvis should not be oblique, and the sacrococcygeal junction should not…
A systematic assessment of foot radiographs for the manifestations of arthropathies is important, because the foot may be an early site of involvement in a systemic arthropathy such as rheumatoid arthritis, or it may be the only site of involvement…
Radiographs of the hands are probably the most informative part of any screening series for arthritis. It is suggested that two views be obtained for evaluation: a posteroanterior (PA) view and a Nørgaard view of both hands and wrists (see…
Evaluation of any articular disorder involves imaging the affected joints with the most appropriate modality. Imaging documents not only the extent and severity of joint involvement but also the progression or regression of disease. More importantly, in the patient who…