Comparison of Diagnostic Efficacy of Dual-energy CT and Ultrasound in Gouty Arthritis

Objective: To explore the performance and effect of dual-energy computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound in the diagnosis of gouty arthritis and to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis of gouty arthritis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 76 patients with gouty arthritis admitted to the hospital from June 2020 to June 2022 was conducted. Patients were diagnosed with gouty arthritis using ultrasound and dual-energy CT technology. The accuracy of diagnosis by different imaging techniques was analyzed along with the imaging findings of ultrasound and dual-energy CT.

Results: Seventy-six patients, 60 men and 16 women, ranging in age from 20 to 77 years (mean age 50.8 ± 10.92 years), presented with uric acid levels of 254.1-720.05 μmol/L (mean 482.17 ± 105.06 μmol/L) and C-reactive protein levels ranging from 4.25 to 10.3 mg/L. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve and specificity of serum uric acid were higher by dual-energy CT than those of ultrasound in the diagnosis of gouty arthritis. The dual-energy CT detection rate of tophi was significantly higher than the ultrasound detection rate (p < .05). For inflammatory effusion and synovial thickening, the ultrasound detection rates were significantly higher than the dual-energy CT detection rates (p < .05). Regarding soft-tissue edema, the detection rate of the two methods was not significantly different (p > .05).

Conclusion: Compared with ultrasound, dual-energy CT has increased accuracy in the diagnosis of gouty arthritis.