Ab0872 Compatibility of the Rheumatologist’s Sacroiliac Joint Evaluation and the Findings in the Radiologist’s Report in Spondyloarthritis Patients Who Received Abdomen Computed Tomography for Any Reason

Background: The present study is centered on the retrospective analysis of spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients who underwent abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans for various reasons, including malignancy screening, acute abdomen suspicion, or nephrolithiasis diagnosis. It is noteworthy that in some cases, radiologists may not provide a comprehensive report on structural alterations in the SIJ while conducting abdominal CT scans for SpA patients. Objectives: Our primary objective is to scrutinize these patients' sacroiliac joint (SIJ) images and compare the radiologist's report with our findings to determine the presence of sacroiliitis. Methods: Our research involved analyzing 188 SpA patients who had received at least one abdominal CT scan for any reason. We meticulously examined the patients' clinical findings, laboratory data, and medication. Additionally, we scrutinized the abdominal CT scans for fusion and total erosion scores. We compared these datasets with the sacroiliitis data reported in the hospital's abdominal CT radiology reports. Results: Following a thorough examination of CT reports, 33 patients exhibited compatible sacroiliitis. Conversely, 82.4% of patients did not present any mention of sacroiliitis. Upon reevaluation of the images, structural changes were observed in 43.6% of patients. Interestingly, only 23 (28%) patients exhibiting structural changes on CT were reported to have sacroiliitis. Among the cohort of patients with no structural changes identified on CT scans (n=106), 9.4% (n=10) reported sacroiliitis in their radiology reports. Subsequent re-examination of the CT scans revealed that the rates of overt structural changes or fusion were significantly higher in the group with sacroiliitis findings in their radiology reports than those without sacroiliitis (p<0.001). Notably, sacroiliitis was reported in the radiology reports of 30.8% (n=16) of the patients with total fusion, whereas sacroiliitis was reported in only 12.5% (n=17) of the patients without complete fusion (p=0.003). Table 1 presents a comparison between the results obtained from the abdominal CT reports and the assessment of the SIJ by the rheumatologist. Conclusion: It has been observed that radiologists tend to prioritize the interpretation of conspicuous imaging findings such as fusion. However, they may overlook structural changes on the articular surface that require meticulous examination and attention, such as erosion or narrowing of the joint space. REFERENCES: NIL. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: None declared.