Gouty arthritis: a prospective radiographic evaluation of sixty patients

Skeletal Radiol. 1984;11(1):1-8. doi: 10.1007/BF00361124.

Abstract

A prospective analysis of 60 patients with gout was undertaken to evaluate the radiographic spectrum of gouty arthritis in patients treated in the era of hypouricemic therapy. Twenty-two of these patients were clinically tophaceous; 36 were considered to have radiographic findings diagnostic of gouty arthritis by strict radiographic criteria. Up to 24% of the patients denied symptoms in joints with radiographic changes of gout; 42% with no evidence of tophi on clinical examination had radiographic changes characteristic of gout. Radiographic assessment can be extremely helpful in the management of gout by documenting the degree and extent of bony involvement, particularly in patients with limited symptoms or without clinical tophi.

MeSH terms

  • Ankle Joint / diagnostic imaging
  • Arthritis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Arthrography*
  • Elbow Joint / diagnostic imaging
  • Female
  • Finger Joint / diagnostic imaging
  • Gout / diagnostic imaging*
  • Hip Joint / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Knee Joint / diagnostic imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • Toe Joint / diagnostic imaging
  • Wrist Joint / diagnostic imaging