Article Text
Electronic pages
Letter
Usefulness of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of gout: a meta-analysis
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In an article published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Chowalloor et al1 suggested, based on a literature review, that ultrasonography (US) is a promising tool that could be used in the diagnosis and management of gout. In this letter, we wish to add further data to Chowalloor et al's conclusion. We have performed a meta-analysis (up to July 2012) to investigate the frequency of ultrasonographic signs, that is, joint effusion, synovitis, bone erosion, tophi and double contour (DC), in gout and asymptomatic hyperuricaemia compared with controls (figure 1).