Pearson's correlation coefficients examining the relationships between DECT MSU crystal deposition and subcutaneous tophus count with structural joint damage on plain radiography: patient-level analysis (n=92)
| Imaging feature | Correlation with number of joints affected by MSU crystal deposition on DECT | Correlation with subcutaneous tophus count | Correlation with disease duration | Correlation with serum urate concentration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of joints affected by MSU crystal deposition on DECT | – | 0.53 p<0.001 | 0.06 p=0.58 | 0.44 p<0.001 |
| Number of joints with erosion | 0.56 p<0.001 | 0.54 p<0.001 | 0.11 p=0.36 | 0.18 p=0.10 |
| Total erosion score | 0.70 p<0.001 | 0.64 p<0.001 | 0.17 p=0.11 | 0.27 p=0.01 |
| Number of joints with joint space narrowing | 0.26 p=0.01 | 0.53 p<0.001 | 0.10 p=0.39 | 0.13 p=0.23 |
| Total joint space narrowing score | 0.30 p=0.004 | 0.47 p<0.001 | 0.10 p=0.36 | 0.10 p=0.34 |
| Number of joints with spur | 0.65 p<0.001 | 0.51 p<0.001 | 0.11 p=0.31 | 0.26 p=0.02 |
| Number of joints with osteophyte | 0.39 p=0.001 | 0.32 p=0.002 | 0.03 p=0.77 | 0.30 p=0.006 |
| Number of joints with periosteal new bone formation | 0.33 p=0.001 | 0.30 p=0.004 | 0.05 p=0.64 | 0.03 p=0.78 |
| Number of joints with sclerosis | 0.52 p<0.001 | 0.52 p<0.001 | 0.17 p=0.11 | 0.15 p=0.16 |
DECT, dual-energy CT; MSU, monosodium urate.