Sonography as method for diagnosing gout at preclinical stage (preliminary data from pilot study)

Abstract

Gout is one of the most common rheumatic diseases, the peculiarity of which is the development in conditions of prolonged hyperuricemia (HU). The rapid increase in the incidence of gout with a slight increase in the prevalence of HU actualizes the issue of diagnosing gout at the preclinical stage.Objective. To determine the frequency of ultrasound signs of urate crystal deposition in patients with asymptomatic HU (AHU) and gout.Results. 112 patients with AHU and gout were included, the mean age in both groups was 49.7 years. Ultrasound signs of deposition of sodium monourate crystals (SMC) among patients with AHU were determined in 21.1% of the patient by ultrasound of the knee joints and 17.5% of patients by ultrasound of the feet. Patients with gout showed the same US features in 38.1% and 56.3% of cases, respectively. There is a strong correlation between the detection of SMC by ultrasound and a history of arthritis attack of the respective joints.Conclusions. The detection of SMC and concomitant HU is very common among patients with AHU, which can be considered the preclinical stage of gout.