MRI may be useful in monitoring disease activity in patients with myositis

Recently presented research showed MRI may be a helpful tool for monitoring disease activity in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis, particularly when patients have a normal creatine kinase level at baseline.

Seventeen patients with dermatomyositis and 19 patients with polymyositis diagnosed using and Peter classification were enrolled into study. The mean patient age was 54 years and patients were women.

Patient evaluations included creatine kinase measurements, manual muscle tests (MMT) graded on a scale of 0 to 5 and two MRI fat-suppressed sequences were collected within 1 week of entry at first visit and following onset or intensification of immunosuppressive therapy. Edema was quantified by MRI as present (1) or absent (0) and was assessed bilaterally in 17 thigh and pelvic floor muscles.

The two separate scores were added and divided by two to yield an MRI composite edema score on a scale of 0 to 17. At T0, 72% of the patients had a composite score of 1 or greater and 50% had a score of 1 or greater at T1. At T0, the mean MRI edema score was 5 and at T1, the mean score was 2.4. The mean MMT score was 4.4 at T0 and 4.6 at T1. Creatine kinase was elevated in 61% of patients at T0 and in 28% of patients at T1. Normal levels of creatine kinase were measured in 11 patients who had a positive MRI at T0 which was negative at T1. - by Shirley Pulawski

Reference:

Pipitone N, et al. Paper #297. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. Nov. 7-11, 2015; San Francisco.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.