Musculoskeletal ultrasonography in gout

Abstract

Gout is a frequent inflammatory disease induced by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in joints and extraarticular tissues. The natural history of the disease includes four different phases: asymptomatic hyperuricemia, acute attacks, intercritical phase, and chronic tophaceous gout. Imaging techniques have several applications in the diagnosis, clinical monitoring and management of the disease but, particularly, musculoskeletal ultrasound is able to detect a wide set of abnormalities in gout. This review reports the most relevant findings detectable by ultrasound and the current available data in the literature regarding the role of musculoskeletal ultrasound in gout.