Advances in imaging methods for early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with unknown etiology. The main feature of RA is chronic, symmetrical and invasive arthritis. RA may present with severe joint deformity and functional loss,which has higher disability and fatality rates. At present, no effective measures can reverse bone damage associated with RA clinically. Therefore, early diagnosis of RA is critical to improve prognosis. In recent years, imaging increasingly plays an important role in the early diagnosis of RA. This article reviews recent advances in imaging methods for early diagnosis of RA. (authors)