We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

MedImaging

Download Mobile App
Recent News Radiography MRI Ultrasound Nuclear Medicine General/Advanced Imaging Imaging IT Industry News

Dual-Energy CT Accurately Diagnoses Gout in Acute, Emergency Settings

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 28 Apr 2010
The medical imaging technique, dual-energy computed tomography (CT), is an effective and effective way to diagnose gout in the acute, emergency care environment.

Dual-energy CT is a sophisticated medical imaging modality that can detect vessels and bones and display them in clear contrast to one another. It enables physicians to diagnose many patients' conditions faster and more accurately as it can better characterize tissue composition better than conventional CT can.

Gout is an extremely painful type of arthritis that occurs when uric acid builds up in and around the joints. "Doctors often use clinical features to diagnose gout; however, many other diseases can mimic or coexist with it and conventional imaging techniques like X-rays, ultrasound, and conventional CT are not specific enough to facilitate a diagnosis,” said Savvakis Nicolaou, M.D., lead author of the study.

The study, performed at Vancouver General Hospital (BC, Canada; www.vch.ca), included five cases in which the diagnosis for gout was made or excluded on the basis of dual-energy CT. "In every case, conventional imaging techniques were used before applying advanced dual-energy CT technology, however we were not able to make a diagnosis based solely upon those findings,” remarked Dr. Nicolaou.

This study appeared in the April 2010 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

"To our knowledge, dual-energy CT is the only imaging method described to date that can confirm the diagnosis of tophaceous [chronic] gout with high accuracy. Dual-energy CT is an exciting problem-solving tool that can reliably diagnose the presence of tophaceous gout, thereby expediting patient treatment, potentially reducing the burden of chronic complications associated with gout,” concluded Dr. Nicolaou.

Related Links:
Vancouver General Hospital


Medical Radiographic X-Ray Machine
TR30N HF
X-Ray Illuminator
X-Ray Viewbox Illuminators
Wall Fixtures
MRI SERIES
Portable X-ray Unit
AJEX140H

Latest Radiography News

AI Detects Fatty Liver Disease from Chest X-Rays
28 Apr 2010  |   Radiography

AI Detects Hidden Heart Disease in Existing CT Chest Scans
28 Apr 2010  |   Radiography

Ultra-Lightweight AI Model Runs Without GPU to Break Barriers in Lung Cancer Diagnosis
28 Apr 2010  |   Radiography