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The distribution of urate deposition within the extremities in gout: a review of 148 dual-energy CT cases

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Abstract

Objective

Clinical detection of gout can be difficult due to co-existent and mimicking arthropathies and asymptomatic disease. Understanding of the distribution of urate within the body can aid clinical diagnosis and further understanding of the resulting pathology. Our aim was to determine this distribution of urate within the extremities in patients with gout.

Materials and methods

All patients who underwent a four-limb dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) scan for suspected gout over a 2-year period were identified (n = 148, 121 male, 27 female, age range, 16–92 years, mean = 61.3 years, median = 63 years). The reports of the positive cases were retrospectively analyzed and the locations of all urate deposition recorded and classified by anatomical location.

Results

A total of 241 cases met the inclusion criteria, of which 148 cases were positive. Of these, 101 (68.2 %) patients had gout in the foot, 81 (56.1 %) in the knee, 79 (53.4 %) in the ankle, 41 (27.7 %) in the elbow, 25 (16.9 %) in the hand, and 25 (16.9 %) in the wrist. The distribution was further subcategorized for each body part into specific bone and soft tissue structures.

Conclusions

In this observational study, we provide for the first time a detailed analysis of extremity urate distribution in gout, which both supports and augments to the current understanding based on clinical and microscopic findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiology Department, Vancouver General Hospital, Jim Pattison Pavilion, 899W 12th Ave, Vancouver, Canada, V5Z 1M9

    Paul I. Mallinson, Adrian C. Reagan, Peter L. Munk, Hugue Ouellette & Savvas Nicolaou

  2. De Groote School of Medicine, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8S 4K1

    Tyler Coupal

  3. Clinical Fellow in Musculoskeletal Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital, Jim Pattison Pavilion, 899 W 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1M9

    Paul I. Mallinson

Authors
  1. Paul I. Mallinson
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  2. Adrian C. Reagan
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  3. Tyler Coupal
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  4. Peter L. Munk
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  5. Hugue Ouellette
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  6. Savvas Nicolaou
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Correspondence to Paul I. Mallinson.

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Mallinson, P.I., Reagan, A.C., Coupal, T. et al. The distribution of urate deposition within the extremities in gout: a review of 148 dual-energy CT cases. Skeletal Radiol 43, 277–281 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-013-1771-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-013-1771-8

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