Chapter 8 - Imaging of Gout

Abstract

A variety of imaging techniques are used in the clinical assessment of patients with gout, most often conventional radiography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, conventional computed tomography, and dual-energy computed tomography. Imaging tests are able to identify the three core domains of disease: monosodium urate crystal deposition, inflammation, and damage. These tests may assist with diagnosis, assessment of disease severity, evaluation of complications of disease, and measurement of response to therapy. Imaging tests have also provided important insights into the mechanisms of disease in gout. This chapter describes the key imaging findings in gout, the role of these tests in clinical practice, and the way that these tests have provided new understanding of disease mechanisms.