ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the joints and tendons characteristic features of high frequency ultrasound in asymptomatic hyperuricemia(AH) and to assess its value in AH diagnosis.Methods One hundred asymptomatic individuals with hyperuricemia (AH group) and 75 normouricemic subjects (control group) were examined by high frequency and color Doppler ultrasound.The joints,tendons and soft tissue of the knees,ankles and first metatarsal-phalangeal joints in two groups were examined.The correlations of serum urate(SU) level with double contour sign,bone erosion and articular cavity effusion were analysed.Results Hyperechoic deposition on the sulface of the articular hyaline cartilage (double contour sign) were found in the knees (35),ankles (17) and the first metatarsophalangeal joints (MTPJs,48) from the asymptomatic individuals with hyperuricemia,in contrast to none in the control group (P ＜0.05).Similar results were found in two groups of the bone erosion (30,25,20 vs 4,6,3,P ＜0.05),the effusion (28,36,41 vs 6,8,9,P ＜0.05) and the hyperechoic spots (19,18,22 vs 0,0,0,P ＜0.05).Patellar enthesopathy (4.5％ vs 0.6％,P ＜0.05) as well as achilles enthesopathy(8％ vs 0,P ＜0.05) and achilles tophi (6％ vs 0.6％,P ＜ 0.05) were more frequent in asymptomatic hyperuricemic than that of normouricemic individuals.No correlations between SU concentration and the presence of the double contour sign,the bone erosion and effusion were found (P ＞0.05).Conclusions There were some similar specific sonographic findings of gouty arthritis in the asymptomatic individuals with hyperuricemia.Also,these findings support high frequency ultrasound as a useful tool to detect anatomical damage in the joints,synovial tissue and tendons of asymptomatic individuals with hyperuricemia.