Auto-immune spondylodiscitis associated with collagen induced arthritis in rats: high field MRI findings

International audience; The spinal involvement of the tail was studied in Wistar Furth rats immunized with bovine native type II collagen. Focal caudal autoimmune spondylodiscitis occurred 5 weeks after sensitization, as assessed histopathologically. High field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was useful in depicting these caudal abnormalities that were related to juxta-diskal enthesitis. The occurrence of such inflammatory enthesopathies could serve as an experimental approach for physiopathological and therapeutical studies of spondylarthropathies.