Clinical Versus Ultrasound Assessment of Joint Activity in Patients with Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia

Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate subclinical ultrasonographic change suggestive of gouty arthritis in the hyaline cartilage, joints and tendons from asymptomatic hyperuricemia (AH) individuals with hyperuricemia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational study including US examinations of the knees and first MTPJs as well as of the tendons and enthesis. The normal distribution of different parameters was tested by the Shapiro–Wilk normality test. Quantitative data were expressed in mean ± standard deviation and the difference between means of two groups was tested by Student’s t-test while qualitative data were expressed in frequency and the difference between proportions was tested by the chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Results: Fifty-nine AH individuals and 52 normouricemic subjects were included. A total of 118 knees, ankles and first MTPJs in patients with AH and 104 in the normouricemic subjects were studied. The most common abnormality found on USG was power Doppler signal in 1st MTPJ (37% vs. 0%; P < .001) followed by joint cavity widening (31% vs. 0%; P < .001). Double contour sign was found in 11% of the first MTPJs from AH individuals versus none in the control group ( P < .001). Posterior tibialis tenosynovitis (6% vs. 0%; P < .01) and Achilles tendon enthesopathy (8% vs. 0%; P < .001). Conclusions: These data demonstrate that subclinical changes detected in the US suggestive of gouty arthritis induced by chronic hyperuricemia frequently occur in both intra- and extra-articular structures of clinically AH individuals.