Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Measuring Psoriasis Severity at Home
Published on: March 1, 2024
Testing an OMERACT MRI scoring system for peripheral psoriatic arthritis in cross-sectional and longitudinal settings
Fiona McQueen1, Marissa Lassere, Anne Duer-Jensen
1Department of Rheumatology, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
Objective:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used to measure articular inflammation and damage in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We evaluated the reliability of a new OMERACT PsA MRI scoring system, PsAMRIS, in PsA fingers.
Methods:
In 2 separate studies, MRI scans were obtained from patients with clinical evidence of synovitis or dactylitis of the fingers. For the first cross-sectional study, images were obtained at one timepoint. For the second longitudinal study, images were obtained at 2 timepoints, 6 weeks apart. Scans were scored using PsAMRIS in an international multireader setting, for synovitis, tenosynovitis, periarticular inflammation, bone edema, bone erosions, and bone proliferation.
Results:
Global status scores from both datasets revealed moderate to high reliability for scoring most features, although reliability was poor for periarticular inflammation in the cross-sectional study. Change scores that reflected inflammatory activity also exhibited moderate to good reliability in the longitudinal exercise, despite there being very little absolute change in MRI synovitis or tenosynovitis observed in this dataset. At the distal interphalangeal joints, reliability for change scores was acceptable only for synovitis and tenosynovitis.
Conclusion:
Further development and testing of the PsAMRIS is planned to improve its performance as a clinical and research tool to identify and measure pathology in peripheral joint PsA.
Insights
The new Psoriatic Arthritis MRI Scoring System (PsAMRIS) shows moderate to high reliability for most finger joint features in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. Further development is needed to enhance its utility for clinical and research applications.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Medical Imaging
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) management increasingly utilizes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess joint inflammation and damage.
- Reliable imaging biomarkers are crucial for tracking disease progression and treatment response in PsA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability of the new Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) PsA MRI Scoring System (PsAMRIS) for assessing finger joints in PsA patients.
- To determine the performance of PsAMRIS in distinguishing between different inflammatory and structural pathologies.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted: one cross-sectional and one longitudinal (6 weeks).
- MRI scans of PsA patient finger joints were assessed by multiple international readers using PsAMRIS.
- Scored features included synovitis, tenosynovitis, periarticular inflammation, bone edema, bone erosions, and bone proliferation.
Main Results:
- PsAMRIS demonstrated moderate to high reliability for most features in both studies.
- Reliability for periarticular inflammation was poor in the cross-sectional study.
- Change scores showed moderate to good reliability in the longitudinal study, particularly for synovitis and tenosynovitis at distal interphalangeal joints.
Conclusions:
- The PsAMRIS shows promise as a tool for evaluating PsA in finger joints.
- Further refinement and validation are necessary to optimize PsAMRIS for clinical and research use in peripheral joint PsA.
