Abstract
MRI examinations of the hands of three patients with rheumatoid arthritis (all women; ages: 56, 76, and 54 years) were performed using the Rheumatoid Arthritis MRI Scoring System (RAMRIS) before tocilizumab treatment and after achieving remission at 6, 10 and 16 months. Mean DAS28 and mean scores for synovitis, bone marrow edema, and bone erosion prior to tocilizumab treatment were 4.58, 6.0, 22.0, and 29.3, respectively. After tocilizumab treatment, these parameters were 2.06, 2.7, 14.0, and 24.7, respectively.
MRI assessment revealed that tocilizumab improved, but did not completely normalize, synovitis and bone edema in all patients. In case 1, the patient showed improvements in synovitis and bone marrow edema several months later after achieving clinical remission.
