[Septic sacroiliitis: early diagnosis due to specific physical examination]. / Septische sacroiliitis.

BACKGROUND: Septic sacroiliitis is an uncommon disease which represents approximately 1-4% of all joint infections, therefore it is difficult to make the right diagnosis and to start early treatment. CASE REPORT: A 18 year old woman was admitted to the emergency room with a fever and pain in the left gluteal region. The patient was considered healthy and had no risk factors for septic arthritis. Edema and a small abscess was found in and around the left sacroiliac joint on pelvic MRI. The patient had positive blood cultures with Staphylococcus Aureus. Antibiotic treatment was initiated and lasted 7 weeks. She recovered completely and had no remaining complaints. CONCLUSION: Physical exam and clinical suspicion are important to consider the diagnosis of septic sacroiliitis. In addition a MRI of the pelvic is the best radiographic exam to conform the diagnosis.

Does sacroiliitis is a mandatory criterion for enthesitis-related arthritis diagnosis?

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sensitivity and specificity seem to be less studied in enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA). We aimed to determine the ability of sacroiliac MRI to diagnose ERA patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including 44 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Each patient had a sacroiliac joint MRI. We divided patients into two groups: G1 patients with ERA and G2 patients with non-ERA subtype. RESULTS: ERA was noted in 61% of the cases. Sacroiliac joints were painful in 15 patients (34%). MRI was normal in 25 patients (57%) (G1:11 versus G2:14) and showed bone marrow edema in the sacroiliac joints in 19 patients (34%) (G1=16 versus G2=3, p=0.005). Sacroiliac joints MRI's sensitivity and specificity in the ERA diagnosis were 61.54% and 82.35%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 84.21% and 58.33%, respectively. Furthermore, sacroiliac joint pain in the clinical examination was able to predict sacroiliac bone edema in MRI with an odds ratio of 6.8 (95% CI 1.68-28.09; p=0.006). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that sacroiliac joint MRI has good specificity and positive predictive value in the diagnosis of ERA patients among JIA patients. This underlines the usefulness of sacroiliac joint MRI in the early diagnosis of ERA patients.

Does sacroiliitis is a mandatory criterion for enthesitis-related arthritis diagnosis? / ¿La sacroilitis es un criterio obligatorio para el diagnóstico de artritis relacionada con entesitis?

Introduction and objectives: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sensitivity and specificity seem to be less studied in enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA). We aimed to determine the ability of sacroiliac MRI to diagnose ERA patients. Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective study including 44 patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Each patient had a sacroiliac joint MRI. We divided patients into two groups: G1 patients with ERA and G2 patients with non-ERA subtype. Results: ERA was noted in 61% of the cases. Sacroiliac joints were painful in 15 patients (34%). MRI was normal in 25 patients (57%) (G1:11 versus G2:14) and showed bone marrow edema in the sacroiliac joints in 19 patients (34%) (G1=16 versus G2=3, p=0.005). Sacroiliac joints MRI's sensitivity and specificity in the ERA diagnosis were 61.54% and 82.35%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 84.21% and 58.33%, respectively. Furthermore, sacroiliac joint pain in the clinical examination was able to predict sacroiliac bone edema in MRI with an odds ratio of 6.8 (95% CI 1.68–28.09; p=0.006). Conclusion: Our study showed that sacroiliac joint MRI has good specificity and positive predictive value in the diagnosis of ERA patients among JIA patients. This underlines the usefulness of sacroiliac joint MRI in the early diagnosis of ERA patients.(AU)

Introducción y objetivos: La sensibilidad y especificidad de la resonancia magnética parecen estar menos estudiadas en la artritis relacionada con entesitis (ERA). Nuestro objetivo era determinar la capacidad de la resonancia magnética de la articulación sacroilíaca para diagnosticar pacientes con ERA. Materiales y métodos: Realizamos un estudio retrospectivo que incluyó a 44 pacientes con artritis idiopática juvenil (AIJ). A cada paciente se le realizó una resonancia magnética de la articulación sacroilíaca. Dividimos a los pacientes en dos grupos: G1: pacientes con ERA y G2: pacientes con subtipo no ERA. Resultados: Se observó ERA en 61% de los casos. Las articulaciones sacroilíacas resultaron dolorosas en 15 pacientes (34%). La resonancia magnética fue normal en 25 pacientes (57%) (G1:11 vs. G2:14) y mostró edema de médula ósea en las articulaciones sacroilíacas en 19 pacientes (34%) (G1=16 vs. G2=3, p=0,005). La sensibilidad y especificidad de la resonancia magnética de articulaciones sacroilíacas en el diagnóstico de ERA fueron de 61,54 y 82,35%, respectivamente. Los valores predictivos positivos y negativos fueron 84,21 y 58,33%, respectivamente. Además, el dolor en la articulación sacroilíaca en el examen clínico fue capaz de predecir el edema del hueso sacroilíaco en la resonancia magnética con un odds ratio de 6,8 (IC 95%: 1,68 a 28,09; p=0,006). Conclusión: Nuestro estudio demostró que la resonancia magnética de la articulación sacroilíaca tiene buena especificidad y valor predictivo positivo en el diagnóstico de pacientes con ERA entre pacientes con AIJ. Esto subraya la utilidad de la resonancia magnética de la articulación sacroilíaca en el diagnóstico temprano de pacientes con ERA.(AU)

The bright Easter bunny sign: a useful aide-memoire on MRI for costotransverse joint inflammation in axial spondyloarthritis.

AIM: To assess the significance of the "bright Easter bunny" sign on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to indicate inflammatory costotransverse joint (CtJ) lesions to diagnose axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive cases of patients with ax-SpA from a specialist rheumatology clinic were analysed retrospectively over two cohorts, between 2012-2014 and 2018-2020, to determine newly diagnosed patients under the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) criteria. Biological naive adult patients who underwent spine MRI and sacroiliac imaging with full immunological work-up and a C-reactive protein reading within 3 months of the scan were included. Blinded images were reviewed by experienced musculoskeletal radiologists. RESULT: From the 1,284 cases that were identified, 40 cases met the inclusion criteria for this study. Seven out of the 40 cases (17.5%) identified inflammatory lesions at the CtJ with five (70%) showing concordance with the bright Easter bunny sign. CONCLUSION: The bright Easter bunny sign is concordant with inflammatory costotransverse enthesitis. This aide-memoire radiological sign is often on overlooked edge-of-field sections and this emphasises the need to ensure adequate coverage of the CtJ on spine MRI protocols as an important anatomical site of inflammatory change in ax-SpA assessment.

Use of MRI-based deep learning radiomics to diagnose sacroiliitis related to axial spondyloarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a deep learning radiomics (DLR) model, which integrates multimodal MRI features and clinical information, in diagnosing sacroiliitis related to axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). MATERIAL & METHODS: A total of 485 patients diagnosed with sacroiliitis related to axSpA (n = 288) or non-sacroiliitis (n = 197) by sacroiliac joint (SIJ) MRI between May 2018 and October 2022 were retrospectively included in this study. The patients were randomly divided into training (n = 388) and testing (n = 97) cohorts. Data were collected using three MRI scanners. We applied a convolutional neural network (CNN) called 3D U-Net for automated SIJ segmentation. Additionally, three CNNs (ResNet50, ResNet101, and DenseNet121) were used to diagnose axSpA-related sacroiliitis using a single modality. The prediction results of all the CNN models across different modalities were integrated using a stacking method based on different algorithms to construct ensemble models, and the optimal ensemble model was used as DLR signature. A combined model incorporating DLR signature with clinical factors was developed using multivariable logistic regression. The performance of the models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: Automated deep learning-based segmentation and manual delineation showed good correlation. ResNet50, as the optimal basic model, achieved an area under the curve (AUC) and accuracy of 0.839 and 0.804, respectively. The combined model yielded the highest performance in diagnosing axSpA-related sacroiliitis (AUC: 0.910; accuracy: 0.856) and outperformed the best ensemble model (AUC: 0.868; accuracy: 0.825) (all P < 0.05). Moreover, the DCA showed good clinical utility in the combined model. CONCLUSION: We developed a diagnostic model for axSpA-related sacroiliitis by combining the DLR signature with clinical factors, which resulted in excellent diagnostic performance.

Sacroiliitis diagnosis based on interpretable features and multi-task learning.

Objective.Sacroiliitis is an early pathological manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and a positive sacroiliitis test on imaging may help clinical practitioners diagnose AS early. Deep learning based automatic diagnosis algorithms can deliver grading findings for sacroiliitis, however, it requires a large amount of data with precise labels to train the model and lacks grading features visualization. In this paper, we aimed to propose a radiomics and deep learning based deep feature visualization positive diagnosis algorithm for sacroiliitis on CT scans. Visualization of grading features can enhance clinical interpretability with visual grading features, which assist doctors in diagnosis and treatment more effectively.Approach.The region of interest (ROI) is identified by segmenting the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) 3D CT images using a combination of the U-net model and certain statistical approaches. Then, in addition to extracting spatial and frequency domain features from ROI according to the radiographic manifestations of sacroiliitis, the radiomics features have also been integrated into the proposed encoder module to obtain a powerful encoder and extract features effectively. Finally, a multi-task learning technique and five-class labels are utilized to help with performing positive tests to reduce discrepancies in the evaluation of several radiologists.Main results.On our private dataset, proposed methods have obtained an accuracy rate of 87.3%, which is 9.8% higher than the baseline and consistent with assessments made by qualified medical professionals.Significance.The results of the ablation experiment and interpreting analysis demonstrated that the proposed methods are applied in automatic CT scan sacroiliitis diagnosis due to their excellently interpretable and portable advantages.

The value of a repeat MRI examination of the sacroiliac joints following an inconclusive initial examination.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the diagnostic utility of repeat sacroiliac joint (SIJ) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations following an inconclusive initial examination performed for suspected sacroiliitis. METHOD: Subjects with > 1 SIJ MRI examinations, an inconclusive first scan and at least 6 months interval between scans, were included. All scans were evaluated for the presence of structural/active SIJ lesions as well as any other pathology. Clinical data was extracted from the patients' clinical files, and any missing data was obtained by a telephone interview. Diagnosis and active/structural scores were compared between first and follow-up examinations (t test). RESULTS: Seventy-one subjects were included in the study, 77.4% females, mean age 41.0 ± 15 years, mean time interval between exams 30.4 ± 25.24 months. Twelve subjects performed > 2 scans. In only two subjects (2.81%), both females, MRI diagnosis changed from inconclusive to definite sacroiliitis. None of the subjects with > 2 scans had evidence of sacroiliitis in any of the following MRI examinations. Significant differences were observed between the scores of active SIJ lesion of the first and follow-up MRI (1.51/1.62, p = 0.02) but not for scores of structural lesions (1.22/1.68, p = 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: Repeat SIJ MRI when the first MRI is inconclusive for sacroiliitis is more valuable in ruling out than in securing diagnosis of sacroiliitis. We suggest that when MRI findings are inconclusive, decision-making should be based on clinical data.

Can rheumatologists unequivocally diagnose axial spondyloarthritis in patients with chronic back pain of less than 2 years duration? Primary outcome of the 2-year SPondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in patients with chronic back pain (CBP) of less than 2 years (2y) duration referred to the rheumatologist, the development of diagnosis over time, and patient characteristics of those developing definite (d-)axSpA over 2y. METHODS: We analysed the 2y data from SPondyloArthritis Caught Early, a European cohort of patients (<45 years) with CBP (≥3 months, ≤2y) of unknown origin. The diagnostic workup comprised evaluation of clinical SpA features, acute phase reactants, HLA-B27, radiographs and MRI (sacroiliac joints and spine), with repeated assessments. At each visit (baseline, 3 months, 1y and 2y), rheumatologists reported a diagnosis of axSpA or non-axSpA with level of confidence (LoC; 0-not confident at all to 10-very confident). MAIN OUTCOME: axSpA diagnosis with LoC≥7 (d-axSpA) at 2y. RESULTS: In 552 patients with CBP, d-axSpA was diagnosed in 175 (32%) at baseline and 165 (30%) at 2y. Baseline diagnosis remained rather stable: at 2y, baseline d-axSpA was revised in 5% of patients, while 8% 'gained' d-axSpA. Diagnostic uncertainty persisted in 30%. HLA-B27+ and baseline sacroiliitis imaging discriminated best 2y-d-axSpA versus 2y-d-non-axSpA patients. Good response to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and MRI-sacroiliitis most frequently developed over follow-up in patients with a new d-axSpA diagnosis. Of the patients who developed MRI-sacroiliitis, 7/8 were HLA-B27+ and 5/8 male. CONCLUSION: A diagnosis of d-axSpA can be reliably made in nearly one-third of patients with CBP referred to the rheumatologist, but diagnostic uncertainty may persist in 5%-30% after 2y. Repeated assessments yield is modest, but repeating MRI may be worthwhile in male HLA-B27+ patients.

MRI for axial SpA: Diagnosis, disease activity assessment, and recent advances.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a sensitive imaging modality to detect early inflammatory changes in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). Over a decade has passed since the inclusion of MRI assessment in the 2009 Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria for axial SpA. Evidence and clinical experience of MRI in axial SpA have accumulated rapidly since. This has led to a better understanding of the clinical utility of MRI in early diagnosis, disease activity assessment, and monitoring of treatment response in axial SpA. Furthermore, technological advancements have paved the way for the development of novel MRI sequences for the quantification of inflammation and image optimization. The field of artificial intelligence has also been explored to aid medical imaging interpretation, including MRI in axial SpA. This review serves to provide an update on the latest understanding of the evolving roles of MRI in axial SpA.

Prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis in Colombia: data from the National Health Registry 2017-2021.

INTRODUCTION: Registries allow ascertaining the epidemiology of chronic diseases such as axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). The Colombian Ministry of Health has implemented a National Health Registry (SISPRO) that collects data from each medical contact in the system, which provides close to universal coverage (around 98%). OBJECTIVE: To establish the 5-year prevalence of axSpA in Colombia, and to describe its demographics, using data from January 1st, 2017, to December 31st, 2021. METHODS: We performed an observational, cross-sectional study using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems as search terms related to ax-SpA, based on SISPRO data. We estimated the prevalence using three approaches: (1) ankylosing spondylitis (AS) diagnoses; (2) diagnoses compatible with axSpA; and (3) diagnoses compatible with axSpA, including sacroiliitis. We calculated prevalence per 100,000 inhabitants. RESULTS: Based on our three approaches, patients with a primary diagnosis compatible with ax-SpA ranged between 12,684 and 117,648, with an estimated 5-year adjusted prevalence between 26.3 and 244 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (0.03-0.2%). The male-to-female ratio ranged between 1.2:1 and 0.4:1, which was markedly skewed towards a higher prevalence in women when we included the code for sacroiliitis. We found the highest frequency of cases in the 50-54 years group. A differential prevalence was observed between different regions in our country, particularly in regions known to have European ancestors. CONCLUSION: This is the first study that describes demographic characteristics of ax-SpA in Colombia and offers valuable information for stakeholders. Key Points • Using the official country-level health database, the prevalence of axSpA in Colombia ranges between 26.3 and 244 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (0.03% - 0.2%) • The prevalence of axSpA peaked among the 50-54 years patient group, suggesting an increased survival • Nations with a substantial admixture, such as Colombia, may present a differential prevalence of axSpA among regions within the country • Including the ICD-10 code for sacroiliitis (M46.1) in epidemiological studies probably overestimates the frequency of axSpA.

Predictors of treatment failure of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with axial spondyloarthritis with focus on haptoglobin, haptoglobin polymorphism and zonulin.

According to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society-European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (ASAS-EULAR) recommendations for the management of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), patients should undergo at least two courses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) therapy. In our study, we enrolled axSpA patients both at onset and in a flare who had already been treated with NSAIDs ineffectively. Subsequently, according to the recommendations, they received modified NSAID treatment as another attempt to the first-line drug therapy and were monitored from there. We aimed to identify risk factors for treatment failure after 4 weeks (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score ≥ 4) especially amongst zonulin and haptoglobin concentrations, and haptoglobin polymorphism. Treatment failure was observed in 71% of patients, and the following variables were contributed for occurrence of this state: higher zonulin levels, ankylosing spondylitis, X-ray sacroiliitis, magnetic resonance imaging sacroiliitis, long duration of symptoms, high BASDAI, and high value of spinal pain intensity on visual analogue scale. In addition, the following positive correlations were found: haptoglobin concentration with C-reactive protein (r = 0.56; p = 0.0004), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.62; p < 0.0001), as well as between zonulin levels and white blood count (r = 0.5; p = 0.0003). The results of the study presented the identified factors related to the standard treatment failure in axSpA, amongst them zonulin levels. They might be applied to point out the patients for whom the search for a more appropriate method of treatment should be considered.

Specific descriptions of axial involvement are associated with radiographic damage development after 2 years in psoriatic arthritis patients.

OBJECTIVES: Investigating the association between different definitions of axial involvement and syndesmophytes development over 2 years in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Patients from a prospective multicentre cohort (Belgian Epidemiological Psoriatic Arthritis Study) involving 17 Belgian rheumatology practices were recruited between December 2012 and July 2014 and included when fulfilling the Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis. Axial involvement included six clinical and two radiographic oriented definitions.Two calibrated central readers evaluated radiographic damage by assessing the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score and modified New York criteria. New syndesmophytes after 2 years were described conditional on axial involvement at baseline. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between syndesmophyte development and axial involvement. All definitions of axial involvement were evaluated separately. RESULTS: From 150 patients, a 2-year follow-up of spinal radiographs was obtained. There are 11 patients with new syndesmophytes after 2 years. For the clinical definitions of axial involvement 'global assessment', 'detailed assessment', 'back pain (BP)' and 'inflammatory BP (IBP)' the probabilities of developing syndesmophytes ranged between 0.06 and 0.08 and were similar for the presence or absence of the definition. When including elevated C reactive protein (CRP) to the definitions the probability of developing syndesmophytes over 2 years increased two times for CBP and seven times for IBP.With radiographic axial involvement a similar trend was seen; radiographic sacroiliitis as definition showed a probability three times higher. When combined with elevated CRP there would be a 14 times higher chance to develop syndesmophytes in 2 years. The ORs varied from 0.83 to 13.80, though none of them were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of syndesmophyte formation in PsA is low. The probability of developing syndesmophytes is much higher when axial involvement is determined radiographically rather than clinically, particularly in the context of high CRP.

Characteristics and burden of disease in patients with radiographic versus non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in the ASRI cohort.

BACKGROUND: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) comprises patients with both radiographic and non-radiographic features. Previous studies have shown similar burden of disease between these two groups. AIMS: The Ankylosing Spondylitis Registry of Ireland (ASRI) was formed with the objective to measure the burden of axial spondyloarthritis in the population and identify early predictors of a poor outcome. For this analysis, the ASRI database was used to compare the characteristics and burden of disease in patients with radiographic versus non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. METHODS: Patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) were defined as those with X-ray evidence of sacroiliitis. Patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) were defined as having MRI evidence of sacroiliitis but no X-ray evidence of sacroiliitis. RESULTS: In total, 764 patients were included. Analysis of radiographic status showed 88.1% (n = 673) of patients with r-axSpA and 11.9% (n = 91) with nr-axSpA (Table 1). Patients with nr-axSpA were younger (41.3 vs. 46.6 years, p < 0.01), had shorter disease duration (14.8 vs. 20.2 years, p < 0.01) and had lower proportion of males (66.6% vs. 78.4%, p = 0.02) with lower frequency of HLA-B27 positivity (73.6% vs. 90.5%, p < 0.01). The nr-axSpA group had lower BASDAI (3.37 vs. 4.05, p = 0.01), BASFI (2.46 vs. 3.88, p < 0.01), BASMI (2.33 vs. 4.34, p < 0.01), ASQoL (5.2 vs. 6.67, p = 0.02) and HAQ scores (0.38 vs. 0.57, p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of extra-musculoskeletal manifestations or use of medications. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence to suggest that the burden of disease is less in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis than radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Disease characteristics, pathogenesis, and treatment controversies of axial psoriatic arthritis.

Axial psoriatic arthritis (axPsA) has considerable overlap with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) but has some unique features that sometimes preclude classification into axSpA. It has some clinical and radiographic differences compared to axSpA. Imaging typically shows asymmetric syndesmophytes, mainly in the cervical spine, with less frequent sacroiliitis. It more commonly presents later in life and is associated with less severe inflammatory back pain than axSpA. The interleukin (IL) IL-23/IL-17 axis is central to the pathogenesis of both diseases. However, the response to therapies targeting these cytokines has been different. IL-23 inhibitors are ineffective in axSpA but may be effective in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Recent post hoc analyses of clinical trial data with IL-23 inhibitors in PsA have raised the possibility of their efficacy in axPsA and need evaluation in future clinical trials. Moreover, there is a need for classification criteria for axPsA and better tools to assess therapeutic response.

Association of anatomical variants of the sacroiliac joint with bone marrow edema in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of sacroiliac joint variants in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) using MRI-based synthetic CT images and to evaluate their relationships with the presence of bone marrow edema, as this may potentially complicate diagnosing active sacroiliitis on MRI in patients with suspected axSpA. METHODS: 172 patients were retrospectively included. All patients underwent MRI because of clinical suspicion of sacroiliitis. The diagnosis of axSpA was made by a tertiary hospital rheumatologist. Two readers independently determined the presence of bone marrow edema and the presence of one or more of the nine known sacroiliac joint (SIJ) variants. RESULTS: SIJ variants were common in axSpA patients (82.9%) and the non-SpA group (85.4%); there were no significant differences in prevalence. Bone marrow edema was frequently found in axSpA (86.8%) and non-SpA patients (34%). AxSpA patients with SIJ variants (except for accessory joint) demonstrated 4 to 10 times higher odds for bone marrow edema, however not statistically significant. The more variants were present in this group, the higher the chance of bone marrow edema. However, some multicollinearity cannot be excluded, since bone marrow edema is very frequent in the axSpA group by definition. CONCLUSION: SIJ variants are common in axSpA and non-SpA patients. SIJ variants were associated with higher prevalence of bone marrow edema in axSpA patients, potentially due to altered biomechanics, except for accessory joint which may act as a stabilizer.

Under what conditions is the intra-articular steroid injection superior to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for treating sacroiliac joint pain?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective study was to determine the conditions under which intra-articular injection therapy may be superior to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with sacroiliac joint pain in the outpatient setting at our hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with sacroiliac pain were divided into two groups: NSAID and the sacroiliac injection group. The NSAID group received 25 mg of indometacin orally once a day and 750 mg of naproxen orally once a day. In the sacroiliac injection group, 5 mg of betamethasone were injected into the sacroiliac joint. The patients' history of lumbar surgery, whether they had sacroiliitis, and the duration of pain were recorded. The patients' VAS (Visual analogue scale) scores at week 1 and month 1 were evaluated. RESULTS: VAS scores were decreased after the first week and first month in the sacroiliac injection group compared to the NSAID group (p<0.001). Sacroiliac steroid injection was found to be superior to NSAIDs in reducing VAS scores in patients with sacroiliitis, a history of lumbar surgery, and pain lasting more than 30 days (p<0.001). In patients without sacroiliitis, without a history of lumbar surgery, and with less than 30 days of pain, no difference was observed between the groups in reducing VAS scores at the end of the first month. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with sacroiliac joint pain, sacroiliac joint injection is superior to NSAIDs in pain relief in patients with pain for more than 30 days, those with MRI-diagnosed sacroiliitis, and those who have undergone lumbar surgery.

Clash of the titans: Current CT and CT-like imaging modalities in sacroiliitis in spondyloarthritis.

Sacroiliitis is characterised by active and structural changes of the joint. While the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society (ASAS) classification criteria stress the importance of bone marrow inflammation, recent reports suggest that osteitis can occur in various diseases, mechanical conditions and healthy individuals. Thus, structural lesions such as joint surface erosion and ankylosis are important factors for differential diagnosis. Various imaging modalities are available to examine these changes. However, computed tomography (CT) is generally considered the reference standard. Nonetheless, recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allow for direct bone imaging and the reconstruction of CT-like images that can provide similar information. This way, the ability of MRI to detect and measure structural lesions is strengthened. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the pros and cons of CT and CT-like imaging modalities in sacroiliitis.

[Clinical and imaging features of infective sacroiliitis in children].

Objective: To summarize the clinical, radiological characteristics, and prognosis of infectious sacroiliitis in children. Methods: A case-control study was conducted, including 12 cases of infectious sacroiliitis diagnosed in the Rheumatology and Immunology Department of the Children's Hospital affiliated with the Capital Institute of Pediatrics from June 2018 to June 2023. These cases comprised the case group. Concurrently, 28 cases of pediatric idiopathic arthritis involving the sacroiliac joint in the same department served as the control group. Basic patient information, clinical features, laboratory parameters, and clinical treatment outcomes for both groups were collected and analyzed. Independent sample t-tests and chi-squared tests were used for inter-group comparisons. Results: Among the 12 cases in the case group, there were 5 males and 7 females, with a disease duration of 0.8 (0.5, 1.2) months. Nine patients presented with fever, and 1 patient had limping gait. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 positivity was observed in 1 case, and there was no family history of ankylosing spondylitis. In the control group of 28 cases, there were 19 males and 9 females, with a disease duration of 7.0 (3.0, 17.0) months. One patient (4%) had fever, and 14 cases (50%) exhibited limping gait. HLA-B27 positivity was found in 18 cases (64%), and 18 cases (64%) had a family history of ankylosing spondylitis. The case group had higher white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil ratio, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, as well as a higher proportion of unilateral involvement on magnetic resonance imaging and bone destruction on CT compared to the control group ((11.1±6.2)×109 vs. (7.3±2.3)×109/L, 0.64±0.10 vs. 0.55±0.12, 72 (34, 86) vs. 18 (5, 41) mm/1 h, 24.6 (10.1, 67.3) mg/L vs. 3.6 (0.8, 15.0) mg/L, 11/12 vs. 36% (10/28), 9/12 vs. 11% (3/28), t=2.90, 3.07, Z=-2.94, -3.28, χ2=10.55, 16.53, all P<0.05). Conclusions: Pediatric infectious sacroiliitis often presents as unilateral involvement with a short disease history. Elevated WBC, CRP, and ESR, as well as a high rate of bone destruction, are also common characteristics.

Artificial intelligence for the detection of sacroiliitis on magnetic resonance imaging in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is important for the early detection of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). We developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model for detecting sacroiliitis in patients with axSpA using MRI. Methods: This study included MRI examinations of patients who underwent semi-coronal MRI scans of the sacroiliac joints owing to chronic back pain with short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences between January 2010 and December 2021. Sacroiliitis was defined as a positive MRI finding according to the ASAS classification criteria for axSpA. We developed a two-stage framework. First, the Faster R-CNN network extracted regions of interest (ROIs) to localize the sacroiliac joints. Maximum intensity projection (MIP) of three consecutive slices was used to mimic the reading of two adjacent slices. Second, the VGG-19 network determined the presence of sacroiliitis in localized ROIs. We augmented the positive dataset six-fold. The sacroiliitis classification performance was measured using the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). The prediction models were evaluated using three-round three-fold cross-validation. Results: A total of 296 participants with 4,746 MRI slices were included in the study. Sacroiliitis was identified in 864 MRI slices of 119 participants. The mean sensitivity, specificity, and AUROC for the detection of sacroiliitis were 0.725 (95% CI, 0.705-0.745), 0.936 (95% CI, 0.924-0.947), and 0.830 (95%CI, 0.792-0.868), respectively, at the image level and 0.947 (95% CI, 0.912-0.982), 0.691 (95% CI, 0.603-0.779), and 0.816 (95% CI, 0.776-0.856), respectively, at the patient level. In the original model, without using MIP and dataset augmentation, the mean sensitivity, specificity, and AUROC were 0.517 (95% CI, 0.493-0.780), 0.944 (95% CI, 0.933-0.955), and 0.731 (95% CI, 0.681-0.780), respectively, at the image level and 0.806 (95% CI, 0.729-0.883), 0.617 (95% CI, 0.523-0.711), and 0.711 (95% CI, 0.660-0.763), respectively, at the patient level. The performance was improved by MIP techniques and data augmentation. Conclusion: An AI model was developed for the detection of sacroiliitis using MRI, compatible with the ASAS criteria for axSpA, with the potential to aid MRI application in a wider clinical setting.

Performances of machine learning algorithms in discriminating sacroiliitis features on MRI: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Summarise the evidence of the performance of the machine learning algorithm in discriminating sacroiliitis features on MRI and compare it with the accuracy of human physicians. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CIHNAL, Web of Science, IEEE, American College of Rheumatology and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology abstract archives were searched for studies published between 2008 and 4 June 2023. Two authors independently screened and extracted the variables, and the results are presented using tables and forest plots. RESULTS: Ten studies were selected from 2381. Over half of the studies used deep learning models, using Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society sacroiliitis criteria as the ground truth, and manually extracted the regions of interest. All studies reported the area under the curve as a performance index, ranging from 0.76 to 0.99. Sensitivity and specificity were the second-most commonly reported indices, with sensitivity ranging from 0.56 to 1.00 and specificity ranging from 0.67 to 1.00; these results are comparable to a radiologist's sensitivity of 0.67-1.00 and specificity of 0.78-1.00 in the same cohort. More than half of the studies showed a high risk of bias in the analysis domain of quality appraisal owing to the small sample size or overfitting issues. CONCLUSION: The performance of machine learning algorithms in discriminating sacroiliitis features on MRI varied owing to the high heterogeneity between studies and the small sample sizes, overfitting, and under-reporting issues of individual studies. Further well-designed and transparent studies are required.