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Current status of ultrasound and dual-energy computed tomography in the evaluation of gout

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Abstract

Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis and is increasing in relevance due to its rising prevalence and incidence. Dual-energy CT (DECT) and ultrasound (US) are the most frequently used imaging modalities for the diagnosis of gout and for the follow-up of patients receiving therapy. Although DECT has the highest diagnostic accuracy for gout and shows consistently excellent reader agreement in the assessment of urate deposition change after therapy, US also performs well and remains just as important an imaging tool in these realms due to its practical advantages in cost, availability, and safety. This article reports the current status of these two modalities in regard to diagnosis and therapy follow-up.

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Correspondence to Hillary W. Garner.

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Hillary W. Garner, M.D. and Daniel E. Wessell, M.D., Ph.D. declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Garner, H.W., Wessell, D.E. Current status of ultrasound and dual-energy computed tomography in the evaluation of gout. Rheumatol Int 38, 1339–1344 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-018-4033-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-018-4033-1

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