"Rice-bodies" symptom on magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

The "rice bodies" symptom on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the shoulder joint in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a rare but specific finding characterised by the presence of multiple small, round, rice-grain-like structures in the synovial fluid of the joint, synovial pouches or sheaths. The etiology of the "rice bodies" is still not fully understood. It has been suggested that they are the result of microinfarcts of the synovial membrane. This article presents a clinical case of rice bodies symptom diagnosed by MRI in a patient with a long history of rheumatoid arthritis who presented with a painless increase in the left shoulder. The computes tomography (CT) and MRI scans of the left shoulder were able to detect the rice bodies symptom as a manifestation of the underlying disease.