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Atlantoaxial joints: patterns of gadolinium enhancement with MR imaging in normal subjects
1Department of Radiology, University of Vienna, Austria.
Objective:
To evaluate normal patterns of enhancement of signal intensity in and about the atlantoaxial joints following intravenous administration of a gadolinium-containing contrast agent.
Methods And Material:
Fat-suppressed axial T1 weighted SE images were obtained in 12 patients without evidence of inflammmatory arthritis before and immediately after intravenous administration of a gadolinium-containing contrast agent. Patterns of enhancement of signal intensity in and about the atlantoaxial joints were evaluated qualitatively.
Results:
Four different MR imaging patterns were observed: no enhancement of signal intensity, enhancement in the form of a single punctate region, enhancement in a confluent pattern, and bandlike enhancement.
Conclusion:
Enhancement occurs around the odontoid process in patients without evidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The dividing line between early synovitis and normal enhancement seems broader than expected. The reasons remain unclear and warant further studies.