Indium-111 leukocyte imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

This study evaluates the usefulness of labeled leukocyte imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In 33 patients, the incidence of pain and swelling in 66 wrist joints and 66 knee joints was compared with the accumulation of [111In]leukocytes. No accumulation of [111In]leukocytes was seen in any of the patients' wrists (0/12) or knee joints (0/14) when both pain and swelling were absent. In contrast, 93% (25/27) of wrist joints and 80% (24/30) of knee joints with both pain and swelling were positive by [111In]leukocyte scintigraphy. There was little correlation between the stage of the disease, as determined by radiography, and [111In]leukocyte accumulation. This study suggests that [111In]leukocyte imaging may be a reliable procedure for monitoring the activity of rheumatoid arthritis, especially for confirming the lack of an ongoing inflammatory response.