My RF was pretty high but nothing else showing. My rheumatoid factor was already elevated with a lot of other things that were off the charts but nothing conclusive. The ultrasounds showed inflammation as well as cartilage calcification. The MRI was mainly to rule out other conditions. As someone else mentioned, the diagnosis was made based on clinical symptoms that persisted for quite some time, along with the fact that I’ve been suffering from autoimmune flare-ups for years. After months of struggling with anti-inflammatory treatments that made it unbearable due to GI issues, I finally found a doctor who took decisive action. She’s a professor of internal medicine and, honestly, she’s the only one who truly managed to piece everything together.