High-resolution MRI of flexor tendon pulleys using a 16-channel hand coil: disease detection and differentiation of psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract Background To evaluate the value of 3 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes of flexor tendon pulleys for the differentiation of psoriatic (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using a novel 16-channel high-resolution hand coil. Methods Seventeen patients with active PsA, 20 patients with active RA, and 16 healthy controls (HC) underwent high-resolution 3 T MRI using the dedicated 16-channel hand coil. Images were analyzed by three independent readers for the degree of inflammatory changes, thickness of flexor tendon pulleys, and comparison to the outcome measures for RA clinical trials (OMERACT) PsA MRI score (PsAMRIS) and to its sub-scores. For correlation analyses, Spearman rho correlation was calculated. Results Flexor tendon pulleys were thicker in PsA than in RA patients (mean difference 0.16 mm, p