MRI Workshop for Axial Spondyloarthritis 2023 Interpretation of MRI Spine

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine is a frequent investigation for low back pain (LBP). Applications in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) include diagnosis and assessment of disease activity. Sacroiliitis on MRI is a known diagnostic criterion. Other MRI lesions such as corner inflammatory lesions (CIL) and fatty corner lesions (FCL) may have potential roles in aiding diagnosis 1 , 2 and in predicting the formation of syndesmophytes. Facet joint and costovertebral lesions are associated with limited spinal mobility and functional impairment 3 . Other lesions described include discovertebral lesions (DVL), Modic type I and II lesions. Identification of individual lesions helps rheumatologists to understand disease progression and guide treatment.