Rheumatology meets radiology in the hot soup of Gutta

If left untreated, gout may result in radiographic abnormalities, that is, cartilage loss and periarticular osteopenia plus more-or-less gout-specific radiographic abnormalities: spurs, sclerosis, and periostal new bone formation. In the current issue, Dalbeth and colleagues describe findings from about 800 joints in 20 mostly tophaceous patients, which can help clinicians to identify osteopathologic gout: spurs, osteosclerosis, ankylosis and periostal new bone formation, all symptoms of advanced, untreated gout. These are hallmarks of chronic untreated gout and are to be prevented.