Diagnostic Joint Imaging in Rheumatology

Diagnostic Joint Imaging in Rheumatology presents a practical and comprehensive approach that provides a robust framework for review and interpretation of joint imaging studies. This resource is organized by anatomic region affected - different from current books in the market organized by disease. This approach of addressing each individual region is more valuable to learners, who will be prompted to consult this reference after being presented with patients who have symptoms affecting specific anatomic regions. Patients present with pain/stiffness in affected joints/regions and not with established diagnoses. A high proportion of patients presenting to primary care practitioners, including internists, have symptoms based in musculoskeletal disease. An even higher proportion of patients presenting to rheumatologists have symptoms and signs of musculoskeletal disorders. These patients need to be assessed for joint diseases, and in addition to 'standard' data collection, diagnostic imaging is often an integral element of the evaluation. Trainees, internists and rheumatologists will benefit from the convenient access to this reference source that clearly delineates the scenarios in which joint imaging could aid in making a diagnosis, which imaging modalities to request, the sensitivity and specificity of the imaging test for each type of joint disease, most importantly - how to make their own assessment of the imaging, and when to request help from a musculoskeletal radiologist.

• Pulls together a collection of patient-derived imaging data that will significantly contribute to the development of more robust precision medicine approaches to joint health
• Focuses on simple imaging techniques that do not require expensive and technologically demanding techniques, making this relevant in lower resource settings world-wide
• Illustrates the importance of plain radiographs in the diagnosis of many rheumatologic diseases