Usefulness of MRI and US in Successful Discontinuation of Etanercept in RA Patients: A Report of Two RA Cases

Masahiro Kondo, Yohko Murak

Abstract

Etanercept (ETN) can induce remission in many patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, successful cessation is considered difficult. We present two cases with RA treated with ETN and successfully discontinued ETN. Before ETN cessation, we evaluated the presence of synovitis using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US). Neither patient showed signs of synovitis in these examinations. MRI and US may provide useful indicators in the clinical recommendations for ETN cessation in RA