Application of the OMERACT Filter to Scoring Methods for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Sacroiliac Joints and the Spine. Recommendations for a Research Agenda at OMERACT 7

DÉSIRÉE M.F.M. VAN DER HEIJDE, ROBERT B.M. LANDEWÉ, KAY-GEERT A. HERMANN, ANNE-GRETHE JURIK, WALTER P. MAKSYMOWYCH, MARTIN RUDWALEIT, PHILIP J. O'CONNOR, JÜRGEN BRAUN, and the ASAS/OMERACT MRI in AS Working Group

ABSTRACT.

Magnetic resolution imaging (MRI) is a promising tool in the assessment of inflammation and structural damage in clinical trials in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The ASAS/OMERACT MRI in AS working group, a collaborative initiative of rheumatologists and musculoskeletal radiologists with a special interest in this field, collected data on all available scoring methods for both sacroiliac (SI) joints and spine, and tested them with respect to the OMERACT filter. These data were presented together with the technical specifications of all methods at the OMERACT 7 conference. In addition, the results of 2 separate experiments on the inter-reader reliability of scoring methods to assess activity in SI joints, and on the comparison of STIR sequence versus T1 post-gadolinium (Gd) sequence for the spine, were presented. Thereafter, 8 groups discussed these data and proposed a research agenda, each on a different topic. This information was reported back to all participants and a prioritized research agenda was compiled by voting. Research on scoring methods for assessing disease activity, in both the spine and SI joints, was considered most important. Research on assessing structural damage was considered less important. The specific process and results of this initiative are discussed. (J Rheumatol 2005;32:2042-7)

Key Indexing Terms:

IMAGING
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS
SCORING METHODS
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

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From the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Maastricht, and CAPHRI Research Institute, University Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Charité Medical School, Berlin, Germany; Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; Department of Radiology, General Infirmary at Leeds, Leeds, UK; and the Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, Herne, Germany.

D.M.F.M. van der Heijde, MD, PhD, Professor of Rheumatology; R.B.M. Landewé, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Maastricht, and CAPHRI Research Institute, University Maastricht; K-G.A. Hermann, MD, Radiologist, Department of Radiology, Charité Medical School; A-G. Jurik, MD, Radiologist, Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital; W.P. Maksymowych, FRCPC, Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta; M. Rudwaleit, MD, Rheumatologist, Department of Rheumatology, Charité Medical School, Campus Benjamin Franklin; P.J. O'Connor, MD, Radiologist, Department of Radiology, Leeds General Infirmary; J. Braun, MD, Professor of Rheumatology, Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet.

Members of the Assessment in Ankylosing Spondylitis/OMERACT MRI Working Group: Jürgen Braun, Désirée van der Heijde (chairs), Xenofon Baraliakos, Matthias Bollow, Paul Emery, Kay-Geert Hermann, Robert Inman, Anne-Grethe Jurik, Mart van de Laar, Rob Lambert, Robert Landewé, Walter P. Maksymowych, Helena Marzo-Ortega, Phil O'Connor, Mikkel Østergaard, Ans Oostveen, Martin Rudwaleit, David Salonen, Jochen Sieper, Millicent Stone, and Kurt de Vlam.

Address reprint requests to Prof. D.M.F.M. van der Heijde, University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands.

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