The Role Of Imaging In Evaluating Patients With Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies

Objective. To describe imaging modalities for diagnosing and monitoring of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.Methods. A detailed literature search summarising recent data documenting the contribution of different imaging techniques to current management of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies was performed.Results. An overview of methods most frequently used for evaluation of inflammatory myopathies and the description of their role in the diagnostic and monitoring process is presented.Conclusion. MRI is currently the most useful method capable of demonstrating both inflammatory and post-inflammatory changes in the muscles and surrounding soft tissue. Several studies have documented potential usefulness of other imaging techniques, such as ultrasonography, positron emission tomography, scintigraphy, and dualenergy x-ray absorptiometry.