Comparative Characteristics of the of X-RAY, Ultrasound and MRI Examination Results in Children with Arthritis

Background: Joints diseases in children aren’t rare and demand complex diagnostic process. The most routine methods of pathological changes detection in joints are X-ray, ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sometimes there is necessity in using more than one of them, because each reveals only some spectrum pathological changes.

Because of a small number of data and short experience of this methods application in children, investigation of X-ray, US and MRI results is really actual.

Objection: to compare X-Ray, US and MRI data in children with arthritis.

Materials and methods: 22 children, 15(68%) with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, 6(27.3%) with reactive arthritis and 1(4.5%) child with Legg-Calve-Pertes’s disease. Mean age was 8±1.2 years and mean duration of disease 1.36±0.3 years.

Results: Bone structure changes were found in 2(9%) cases of osteoporosis and 1(4.5%) of femoral head consolidation and were detected only by X-ray. Joint space changes registered in 7(31.5%) children by X-ray, 22(100%) by US and MRI (p=0.05). Joint effusion was in 5(22.7%) on X-ray and in 22(100%) on US and MRI (p=0.05) cases. Pathological changes of synovial membrane found in 10(45.5%) and increased blood flow in 18(82%) children during only on US scanning. Narrowing of cartilage height we saw in 1child (4.5%) on MRI. Enthesitis was diagnosed by US in 1(4.5%) and soft tissues consolidation were detect in 8(36%) during X-ray. We didn’t find any incidents of erosions and pannus in our investigation.

Discussion: application of visualization methods for differentiation diagnostics in children with arthritis are important and informative. In addition, US is more available to use than MRI.

Conclusions: on early stages of diagnostic process in children with arthritis we recommend using X-ray and US examination. MRI has advantage in imaging of soft tissues, especially cartilages and tendons and in complicated cases.