The imaging crisis in axial spondyloarthritis.

Journal: The Lancet. Rheumatology
Published Date: May 16, 2025

Abstract

Imaging holds a pivotal yet contentious role in the early diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis. Although MRI has enhanced our ability to detect early inflammatory changes, particularly bone marrow oedema in the sacroiliac joints, the poor specificity of this finding introduces a substantial risk of overdiagnosis. The well intentioned push by rheumatologists towards earlier intervention could inadvertently lead to the misclassification of mechanical or degenerative conditions (eg, osteitis condensans ilii) as inflammatory disease, especially in the absence of structural lesions. Diagnostic uncertainty is further fuelled by anatomical variability, sex differences, and suboptimal imaging protocols. Current strategies-such as quantifying bone marrow oedema and analysing its distribution patterns, and integrating clinical and laboratory data-offer partial guidance for avoiding overdiagnosis but fall short of resolving the core diagnostic dilemma. Emerging imaging technologies, including high-resolution sequences, quantitative MRI, radiomics, and artificial intelligence, could improve diagnostic precision, but these tools remain exploratory. This Viewpoint underscores the need for a shift in imaging approaches, recognising that although timely diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent long-term structural damage, robust and reliable imaging criteria are also needed. Without such advances, the imaging field risks repeating past missteps seen in other rheumatological conditions.

Authors

  • Torsten Diekhoff
    From the Institute for Radiology (K.K.B., L.C.A., K.G.A.H., T.D., S.M.N., B.H., J.L.V.) and Department of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology (including Nutrition Medicine) (F.P., L.S., M.P., V.R.R., H.H., J.R., M.T., D.P.), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany (K.K.B., L.C.A., J.R.); Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany (M.R.M.); Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (R.G.L., W.P.M.); Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet Herne, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany (X.B.); and Epidemiology Unit, German Rheumatism Research Centre, Berlin, Germany (D.P.).
  • Denis Poddubnyy
    Department of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Keywords

No keywords available for this article.

External Resources

Popular Topics
Recent Journals