Is it useful to repeat magnetic resonance imaging after three months or one year in patients with back pain and suspected axial spondylarthritis?

AbstractBakker et al found a change in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in 29 of 188 patients, when the examination was repeated at three months and at one year (1). The patients were all being investigated on account of back pain, with presumably varying degrees of concern about the possibility of inflammatory spondyloarthritis.Twelve (6.8%) patients were negative at the initial examination but became positive on subsequent testing. A percentage that was lower, but not dissimilar to Van Onna et al's report of 15% at two years (2).
Source: Arthritis and Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Authors: Tags: LETTER TO THE EDITOR Source Type: research