Conventional radiography remains the first-line tool for monitoring disease progression.
Diagnostic imaging provides an objective assessment of joint involvement to help rheumatologists create effective therapeutic plans. Key features across different imaging modalities include: Radiographic Features (X-ray)
: Early thinning of the bone near affected joints.
The hallmark diagnostic imaging feature of the rheumatoid hand is , which typically occur at the "bare areas" of the joint where the synovium directly overlies the bone without cartilage protection.
: Late-stage structural changes like ulnar deviation (fingers drifting toward the pinky side), boutonnière deformity , and swan-neck deformity . Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
