Correlation of some MR findings in ankylosing spondylitis

Results of the spinal magnetic resonance (MR) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were evaluated prospectively in correlation with age, symptoms duration and some inflammatory tests. 20 patients with AS were prospectively examined by complex clinical and laboratory tests. All were examined with X-ray and 1,5T magnetic resonance. The visibility, margination and extent of acute and chronic pathological vertebral lesions were qualitatively and quantitatively compared statistically. The axial form of AS strongly prevailed (70%). If acute AS vertebral changes are evaluated CRP did not correlated with local vertebral changes, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and functional tests BASDAI and BASFI correlated with vertebral changes on the various significance level due to the MR sequence used. Chronic spinal changes correlated with age of the patients and duration of the symptoms. BASFI test with chronic changes did not correlate. MR is the best method for evaluating changes in vertebrae and in the adjacent soft tissues. The excellent evaluation of acute and chronic local MR changes of vertebral marrow is provided by Braun's scoring system. In acute AS changes short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) sequence showed most vertebral marrow changes, while in the chronic AS changes T1 weighted images were the statistically significantly best sequence in depicting the marrow and ligamentous pathology.