Rheumatology meets radiology in the hot soup of Gutta

Table 1 challenges for imaging in gout

Technique	'Specific' feature	Clinical potential
X-ray	Ankylosis	Daily practice
	Osteosclerosis	Long-term follow-up
	Osteophyte	In epidemiology
	Periostal new bone	In pathophysiology
	Spur	In intervention study
CT
DECT	Tophaceous load	Experimental application
		In urate lowering therapies demonstrating efficacy
HRCT	Erosion-tophus interrelation	Experimental application/sporadic in daily practice
		In pathophysiology
US	DCS/snow storm	Common use in daily practice
	Power Doppler sign	In diagnostic algorithm for early diagnosis (and possibly follow-up); measuring active inflammation
MRI	Bone oedema/osteitis	Experimental application/daily practice
		In follow-up intervention study; measuring active inflammation

CT, computerized tomography; DCS, double contour sign; DECT, dual energy CT; HRCT, high resolution CT; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; US, ultrasound.

ISSN: 1478-6362