About

CaRE Arthritis, along with our industry partners, have held over 35 MRI workshops in SpA all over the world. These workshops are highly interactive - participants gather in small groups with a moderator and get hands-on experience with real imaging workstations. Participants learn how to identify the various features of SpA on the Sacroiliac Joint and Spine and how to differentiate these features from pathological features.

CaRE offers both a standard course designed primarily for rheumatologists interested in learning the basics of MRI, and an advanced course focused on complicated cases for radiologists and prior attendees of the standard course.

Workshops

Below is a list of the workshops that CaRE Arthritis has facilitated.

Location

Date

Accreditation

  • Malta
  • October 6, 2019
  • MRI Workshop supported by Pfizer
  • New Delhi, India
  • May 25, 2019
  • MRI Workshop supported by Novartis
  • Hyderabad, India
  • May 24, 2019
  • MRI Workshop supported by Novartis
  • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • April 14, 2019
  • MRI Workshop supported by Novartis
  • Singapore
  • April 13, 2019
  • MRI Workshop supported by Novartis
  • Edmonton, Canada
  • March 29-30, 2019
  • Preceptorship for South American Rheumatologists supported by Pfizer
  • Lisbon, Portugal
  • November 30, 2018
  • MRI Workshop supported by Novartis
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • June 12, 2018
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Bogotá, Colombia
  • March 23, 2018
  • MRI workshop supported by Pfizer
  • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • March 12, 2018
  • MRI workshop supported by Novartis
  • Singapore
  • March 10, 2018
  • MRI workshop supported by Novartis and accredited by the Singapore Society of Rheumatology CME
  • Toronto, Canada
  • December 2, 2017
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Halifax, Canada
  • October 28, 2017
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Madrid, Spain
  • June 13, 2017
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • September 24, 2016
  • MRI workshop supported by Japan Spondyloarthritis Society
  • London, England
  • June 7, 2016
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Chicago, United States
  • April 16, 2016
  • MRI workshop supported by the Spondylitis Association of America, Accredited by Cedar Sinai Medical Center
  • Kuwait, Kuwait
  • December 5, 2015
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Rome, Italy
  • June 9, 2015
  • MRI workshop supported by UCB
  • Prague, Czech Republic
  • April 18, 2015
  • MRI workshop in Immune-Mediate Inflammatory Diseases Symposium supported by AbbVie
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • March 18-19, 2015
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Vancouver, Canada
  • December 6, 2014
  • Second conjoint Rheumatology/Radiology MRI workshop in SpA, Accredited by the Canadian Rheumatology Association
  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • April 26, 2015
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Santa Monica, United States
  • September 13, 2014
  • First US MRI workshop in SpA supported by the Spondylitis Association of America, Accredited by Cedar Sinai Medical Center
  • Brussels, Belgium
  • September 4-6, 2014
  • Accredited by the European Accreditations Council for Continuing Medical Education
  • Seoul, South Korea
  • July 4-5, 2014
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • São Paulo, Brazil
  • April 8-10, 2014
  • MRI workshop supported by AbbVie
  • Victoria, Canada
  • November 16, 2013
  • First conjoint Rheumatology/Radiology MRI Workshop in SpA
  • Toronto, Canada
  • November 8-9, 2013
  • Accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
  • Athens, Greece
  • June 1, 2013
  • MRI workshop symposium supported by AbbVie
  • London, England
  • March 5-7, 2013
  • Accredited by the European Accreditations Council for Continuing Medical Education
  • Montréal, Canada
  • October 19-20, 2012
  • Accredited by the University of Alberta
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • September 12-13, 2012
  • Axial SpA Symposium supported by Abbvie
  • London, England
  • March 12-16, 2012
  • Accredited by the European Accreditations Council for Continuing Medical Education
  • Vancouver, Canada
  • November 25, 2011
  • Accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
  • London, England
  • March 5-7, 2011
  • Accredited by the European Accreditations Council for Continuing Medical Education
  • Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada
  • August 27-28, 2010
  • Accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Quotes

"I am very satisfied. Very well co-ordinated course and very prestigious speaker. I have improved much."

"This has been a great course. I have learnt a lot. Thank you!!"

"The course could have been longer! Otherwise excellent workshop!"

"These cases were excellent and discussion very good. An advanced workshop to build on this would be a good idea. Many thanks."

"Excellent workshop, one of the best I have attended."

"There was definitely learning here. Thank you so much!"

"Excellent opportunity for us to have a few glimpses of role of MRI in SpA. Thank you very much."

Typical Agenda

1. OPENING REMARKS/INTRODUCTION/PRE-SESSION EVALUATION (10 minutes)

Objectives: by the end of this workshop you will possess these skills through a unique process of experiential learning:

  • To recognize the spectrum of radiographic and MRI features observed in SpA, especially in early disease
  • To understand the advantages of using MRI compared to other imaging modalities e.g. radiography
  • To recognize the potential pitfalls in using MRI to assess SpA
  • To develop an understanding of the language of MRI and the confidence in its interpretation to engage in an informed dialogue with the radiologist
  • To transform the interaction of the rheumatologist with the patient in routine practice
  • To understand the key clinical scenarios where MRI may change the management of patients with spondyloarthritis and thereby address the unmet needs of rheumatologists.

2. MRI IN CLINICAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH (15 minutes)

  • What constitutes a positive MRI for the classification of SpA?
  • What is the overall sensitivity/specificity of MRI for SpA?
  • Which lesions are most sensitive?
  • Which lesions are most specific?
  • How does MRI relate to clinical signs and symptoms?
  • What does MRI offer over and above clinical and radiographic evaluation?
  • What is the prognostic capacity of MRI?
  • Does MRI help select patients for treatment?
  • Does MRI predict response to treatment?
  • What are key questions posed by rheumatologists?
  • Why is radiologist evaluation so crucial to patients?

3. An Introduction to the International MRI Course in SpA.

Participants will engage with their own workstations under the guidance of the moderator. All content on the workstations will be case-based. (40 minutes)

Objectives: To become familiar with the normal MRI appearances of the sacroiliac joint and spine, to understand what type of MRI should be conducted in routine practice, and to understand the standardized approach to routine evaluation. By the completion of this section, participants will be familiar with the principles of using DICOM imaging and will be adept at setting up the MRI scan for optimal viewing themselves. In essence, participants will develop new skills based on experiential learning that will transform their interaction with the patient in routine practice.

4. Early SpA (60 minutes)

Objectives: To understand the evolution of early disease and recognize the contribution of different MRI sequences. When is MRI examination appropriate? Which sacroiliac joint lesions are sensitive/specific for SpA? By the completion of this section, participants will start to recognize the typical abnormalities seen in early SpA on MRI and will be able to solve diagnostic case-based problems posed by the moderator in a real-time interactive feedback format.

5. Spectrum of SpA (30 minutes)

Objectives: To understand the spectrum of SpA lesions.

  • What constitutes pathological versus physiological fat in the SIJ?
  • Which spinal lesions are sensitive/specific for SpA?
  • Why are SpA-specific scanning protocols of the spine necessary?
  • How does treatment influence the appearance of MRI lesions?

6. Differential Diagnosis-Sacroiliac Joint and Spine (90 minutes)

Objectives: To recognize the abnormalities that often cause difficulties in discrimination from SpA in the sacroiliac joint.

  • What differentiates SpA from normal variation of the sacroiliac joint?
  • What differentiates SpA from osteitis condensans ilii, degenerative disease, sepsis, fracture, malignancy?

To recognize abnormalities that often cause difficulties in discrimination from SpA in the spine.

  • Should the spine be routinely scanned or just the sacroiliac joints?
  • What differentiates SpA from degenerative disorders, DISH, SAPHO, sepsis, malignancy?

7. SELF-ASSESSMENT REAL-TIME INTERACTIVE MODULE (DICOM) (60 minutes)

What have you learnt? An exciting real-time interactive exercise with input and discussion from all participants. This is the highlight of the workshop where participants will decisively realize to what degree they have learnt new skills and how their clinical practice will be substantially enhanced.

8. CONCLUSION AND POST-SESSION EVALUATION (10 minutes)

Photos and Videos

Accreditation

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Workshop in Spondyloarthritis. This has been qualified by the American Board of Radiology for 4.75 SAM credits since March 10, 2016. The identifier is SAOD01A0316-2544.