Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Tracking interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis: integrating lung magnetic resonance imaging into a clinically oriented multimodal follow-up strategy
Main finding · Agreement of MRI and HRCT findingsResult — go to the resultWeighted κ 0.25Authors' conclusion
Lung MRI is a promising adjunctive tool for monitoring SSc-ILD and may provide complementary information to HRCT on early imaging changes, particularly the transition from inflammation to fibrosis.
Study context
- Population
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) requiring treatment initiation or change64.3% female, mean age 48.3 years
- Participants
- 14 patients
- Exposure
- Lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) vs high-resolution CT (HRCT) for monitoring SSc-ILD
- Outcome
- Agreement of MRI with HRCT for monitoring ILD (improvement, stability or progression)
- Follow-up
- 6 months
Methodological detailsMRI vs HRCT as reference, 6-month and 2-year follow-up
- MRI vs HRCT as reference
- 6-month and 2-year follow-up
Main finding
Agreement of MRI and HRCT findings
Weighted κ
0.25
As reported in the abstract
- MRI outcomes at 6 months matched HRCT findings at 2 years
- 92.8% (13/14)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
MRI change at 6 months
- Improvement
- 1
- Stability
- 9
- Progression
- 4
- Progressed cases with decreased inflammation but increased fibrotic features
- 2
Correlations of T1 contrast sequence
- Pleural irregularities on US
- ρ=0.55; p=0.04
- DLCO
- ρ=−0.65; p=0.01
Original publication
Tracking interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis: integrating lung magnetic resonance imaging into a clinically oriented multimodal follow-up strategy. Clin Exp Rheumatol. Published 23 March 2026. doi:10.
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