TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessing the sensitivity to change of the OMERACT ultrasound structural gout lesions during urate-lowering therapy

AU - Christiansen, Sara Nysom

AU - Østergaard, Mikkel

AU - Slot, Ole

AU - Keen, Helen

AU - Bruyn, George A.W.

AU - D'Agostino, Maria Antonietta

AU - Terslev, Lene

PY - 2020/1

Y1 - 2020/1

N2 - Objectives: To evaluate the sensitivity to change of ultrasound structural gout lesions, as defined by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) ultrasound group, in patients with gout during urate-lowering therapy (ULT). Methods: Ultrasound (28 joints, 26 tendons) was performed in patients with microscopically verified gout initiating or increasing ULT and repeated after 3 and 6 months. Joints and tendons were evaluated by ultrasound for presence of the OMERACT structural gout lesions - double contour sign (DC), tophus, aggregates and erosion - scored binarily. A sum score was calculated at patient and lesion level. Changes at 3 and 6 months in patient sum scores and lesion scores at different locations were evaluated. Results: 50 patients (48 men), mean age 68.9 (range, 30-88) years, were included. Ultrasound showed a statistically significant decrease in DC and tophus sum scores from 0 months (3.16 and 2.68, respectively) to 3 months (2.33 and 2.43) and 6 months (1.34 and 1.83) (all p<0.002). The aggregate sum score only decreased significantly from 3 to 6 months (6.02 to 5.02, p=0.002), whereas erosion sum score remained almost unchanged. All four structural lesions were most commonly found in metatarsophalangeal (MTP) 1 joints (>1 lesions bilaterally), and furthermore MTP2-4 and knee joints were common sites especially for DC. Likewise, these regions were the locations with most pronounced changes in scores. Conclusion: Ultrasound assessment of the OMERACT structural gout lesions scored binarily seems to be a useful tool for monitoring urate depositions during ULT. Particularly DC and tophus showed sensitivity to change after only 3 months of treatment.

AB - Objectives: To evaluate the sensitivity to change of ultrasound structural gout lesions, as defined by the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) ultrasound group, in patients with gout during urate-lowering therapy (ULT). Methods: Ultrasound (28 joints, 26 tendons) was performed in patients with microscopically verified gout initiating or increasing ULT and repeated after 3 and 6 months. Joints and tendons were evaluated by ultrasound for presence of the OMERACT structural gout lesions - double contour sign (DC), tophus, aggregates and erosion - scored binarily. A sum score was calculated at patient and lesion level. Changes at 3 and 6 months in patient sum scores and lesion scores at different locations were evaluated. Results: 50 patients (48 men), mean age 68.9 (range, 30-88) years, were included. Ultrasound showed a statistically significant decrease in DC and tophus sum scores from 0 months (3.16 and 2.68, respectively) to 3 months (2.33 and 2.43) and 6 months (1.34 and 1.83) (all p<0.002). The aggregate sum score only decreased significantly from 3 to 6 months (6.02 to 5.02, p=0.002), whereas erosion sum score remained almost unchanged. All four structural lesions were most commonly found in metatarsophalangeal (MTP) 1 joints (>1 lesions bilaterally), and furthermore MTP2-4 and knee joints were common sites especially for DC. Likewise, these regions were the locations with most pronounced changes in scores. Conclusion: Ultrasound assessment of the OMERACT structural gout lesions scored binarily seems to be a useful tool for monitoring urate depositions during ULT. Particularly DC and tophus showed sensitivity to change after only 3 months of treatment.

KW - double contour sign

KW - gout

KW - OMERACT

KW - tophus

KW - ultrasound

U2 - 10.1136/rmdopen-2019-001144

DO - 10.1136/rmdopen-2019-001144

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32396518

AN - SCOPUS:85078910162

VL - 6

JO - RMD Open

JF - RMD Open

SN - 2056-5933

M1 - e001144

ER -