Fat Metaplasia on Sacroiliac Joint Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Baseline Is Associated with Spinal Radiographic Progression in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis

Kwi Young Kang¹, In Je Kim², Yeon Sik Hong³, Sung-Hwan Park⁴ and Ji Hyeon Ju⁵, ¹#505, Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea, ²Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, ³catholic University of Korea, Incheon, South Korea, ⁴Kangnam St Mary's Hospital, Seoul, South Korea, ⁵Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea

Meeting: 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Date of first publication: September 29, 2015

Keywords: ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and axial spondyloarthritis, MRI

Session Information

Date: Monday, November 9, 2015

Title: Spondylarthropathies and Psoriatic Arthritis - Comorbidities and Treatment Poster II

Session Type: ACR Poster Session B

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: To study the relationship between inflammatory and structural lesions in the sacroiliac joints (SIJs) on MRI and spinal progression observed on conventional radiographs in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Methods: One hundred and ten patients who fulfilled the ASAS axSpA criteria were enrolled. All underwent SIJ MRI at baseline and lumbar spine radiographs at baseline and after 2 years. Inflammatory and structural lesions on SIJ MRI were scored using the SPondyloArthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) method. Spinal radiographs were scored using the Stoke AS Spinal Score (SASSS). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of spinal progression.

Results: Among the 110 patients, 25 (23%) showed significant radiographic progression (change of SASSS≥2) over 2 years. There was no change in the SASSS over 2 years according to the type of inflammatory lesion. Patients with fat metaplasia or ankyloses on baseline MRI showed a significantly higher SASSS at 2 years than those without (p<0.001). According to univariate logistic regression analysis, age at diagnosis, HLA-B27 positivity, the presence of fat metaplasia, erosion, and ankyloses on SIJ MRI, increased baseline CRP levels, and the presence of syndesmophytes at baseline were associated with spinal progression over 2 years. Multivariate analysis identified syndesmophytes and severe fat metaplasia on baseline SIJ MRI as predictive of spinal radiographic progression (OR, 7.92 and 8.25, respectively).

Conclusion: Inflammatory lesions in the SIJs on baseline MRI were not associated with spinal radiographic progression. However, fat metaplasia at baseline was significantly associated with spinal progression after 2 years.

Disclosure: K. Y. Kang, None; I. J. Kim, None; Y. S. Hong, None; S. H. Park, None; J. H. Ju, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Kang KY, Kim IJ, Hong YS, Park SH, Ju JH. Fat Metaplasia on Sacroiliac Joint Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Baseline Is Associated with Spinal Radiographic Progression in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/fat-metaplasia-on-sacroiliac-joint-magnetic-resonance-imaging-at-baseline-is-associated-with-spinal-radiographic-progression-in-patients-with-axial-spondyloarthritis/. Accessed .

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