Ultrasonographic Features of Lower-Limb Joints in Gout: Which Joints and Clinical Characteristics Would Provide More Information for Diagnosis?

Interest in daily clinical practice of screening for gouty disease in patients with psoriatic arthritis

Objectives

PsA and gout are two prevalent rheumatic diseases, that can be associated as part of a rheumatism known as 'Psout'. Both conditions are associated with cardiovascular (CV) risk, thus their co-occurrence could have significant implications for the management of CV risks and patient care. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of gout within a PsA patient cohort and, consequently, to identify factors associated with this pathological association.

Methods

This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, single-center study, including patients diagnosed with PsA. Demographic, clinical, biological and imaging data were collected. We identified the proportion of patients simultaneously affected by PsA and gout and compared characteristics between those with and without gout.

Results

The prevalence of gout among PSA patients was 9.8% (12/122), with a prevalence of 23% for asymptomatic hyperuricemia and 7.4% presenting with specific US signs of gout. Significant associated factors in the univariate analysis included weight, hypertension, diabetes, certain medications (diuretics, aspirin, lipid-lowering agents), impaired renal function, elevated fasting blood glucose, lipid abnormalities and specific US signs of gout.

Conclusion

Our study has described the existence of patients simultaneously affected by PsA and gout ('Psout'). Performing joint US along with uric acid level measurements in PsA patients can enable personalized therapeutic care.

The EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound - Part II: Joint Pathologies, Pediatric Applications, and Guided Procedures

The second part of the Guidelines and Recommendations for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSUS), produced under the auspices of EFSUMB, following the same methodology as for Part 1, provides information and recommendations on the use of this imaging modality for joint pathology, pediatric applications, and musculoskeletal ultrasound-guided procedures. Clinical application, practical points, limitations, and artifacts are described and discussed for every joint or procedure. The document is intended to guide clinical users in their daily practice.

Ultrasound Imaging Acquisition Procedures for Evaluating the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint: A Scoping Review

The aim of this scoping review was to investigate ultrasound imaging (USI) acquisition procedures and guidelines used to assess the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ). MEDLINE, CINAHL, AMED and SPORTDiscus were systematically searched in May 2021. Studies were included if they used grey-scale USI or power Doppler and reported a USI procedure to assess the first MTPJ. Screening and data extraction were performed by two independent assessors. The scoping review was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A total of 403 citations were identified for screening, with 36 articles included in the final analysis. There was wide variation in USI acquisition procedures used to evaluate the first MTPJ. Inconsistencies in reporting may be attributable to the number of elements the USI acquisition procedure encompasses, which include the model of the USI device, the type of transducer, USI modalities and settings, patient position, transducer orientation, surfaces scanned and the scanning technique used. The review found inconsistencies against international guidelines and limited implementation of consensus-based recommendations to guide image acquisition. Current guidelines require further refinement of anatomical reference points to establish a standardised USI acquisition procedure, subsequently improving interpretability and reproducibility between USI studies that evaluate the first MTPJ.

Ultrasound Evaluation of Three Outcome Domains in the Follow-up of Urate-Lowering Therapy in Gout: An Observational Study

This prospective study was aimed at observing the changes in three ultrasound (US) outcome domains (urate deposition, joint inflammation and bone erosion) in gout patients within the 1 y on urate-lowering therapy. The elementary lesions, including tophus, double-contour (DC) sign, aggregates, synovitis and bone erosion of the bilateral knee, ankle and first metatarsophalangeal joints, were evaluated repeatedly by US before and after 3, 6 and 12 mo of treatment, and the effective rates of clearance of tophus, DC sign and aggregates in different time groups were compared. A Global OMERACT-EULAR Synovitis Score (GLOESS) was calculated for these three paired joints to observe the inflammation. Bone erosion was also scored. The correlation between serum uric acid levels and tophus size changes was analyzed. Our results indicated that the decrease in serum uric acid levels was not completely parallel to the decrease in tophus size. For tophus, there was no significant difference in the clearance rate between different time groups (χ² = 1.76, p = 0.392), while for DC sign and aggregates, there were significant differences (χ² = 21.48, p < 0.001, χ² = 7.75, p = 0.018). Meanwhile, GLOESS was significantly lower after 6 mo of therapy (χ² = 32.316, p < 0.001). Additionally, bone erosion had not improved after 1 y of treatment (Z = -1.633, p = 0.102). Thus, US is crucial for assessing response to urate-lowering therapy in gout.

Imaging of crystalline arthropathy in 2020

Crystal-related arthropathies are the result of crystal deposition in joint and periarticular soft tissues. Identification of urate crystals is mandatory to distinguish gout from other crystalline arthropathies, including calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate and basic calcium phosphate crystal deposition diseases. ACR/EULAR classification criteria for gout included dual-energy computed tomography and ultrasound with equal impact to the final score. Different diagnostic strengths of these imaging modalities depend on disease duration and scanned anatomic site. While ultrasound has been indicated as the first-choice imaging technique, especially in the early stages of the disease, dual-energy computed tomography has shown to be highly specific, allowing the detection of crystal deposits in anatomic sites not accessible by ultrasound, such as the spine. At the spinal level, MRI findings are usually nonspecific. Finally, there is preliminary evidence that at the knee, dual-energy computed tomography may discriminate calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate from basic calcium phosphate crystal deposits.