Associations of Changes in Knee Hyaline Cartilage Composition Measured With Dual-Energy Computed Tomography in Gout, Aging and Osteoarthritis.

Objective: To characterize dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) changes depicting hyaline cartilage changes in gout patients with and without osteoarthritis (OA) and in comparators without gout.

Design: Patients with suspected crystal-associated arthropathy were enrolled and underwent bilateral DECT scans of the knees. Standardized regions of interest were defined in the femorotibial hyaline cartilage.

Can Dual-Energy Computed Tomography Be Used to Identify Early Calcium Crystal Deposition in the Knees of Patients With Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition?

Objective: To assess the ability of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in identifying early calcium crystal deposition in menisci and articular cartilage of the knee, depending on the presence/absence of chondrocalcinosis seen on conventional CT.

Methods: One hundred thirty-two knee DECT scans from patients with suspected crystal-associated arthropathy were reviewed and assigned to a calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) group (n = 50) or a control group (n = 82). Five DECT attenuation parameters were measured in preset regions of interest (ROIs) in menisci and articular cartilage and compared between groups using linear mixed models with adjustment for confounders.