OP0008 Ultrasound in Gout: A Useful Tool for Follow-Up with Urate-Lowering Therapy

Background Recently, ultrasonography (US) demonstratted its ability to detect urate deposition in gouty patients. Some US features have been suggested to be specific such as tophus and the double contour sign. In contrast to the usefulness of US for diagnosis, data are lacking on its place in follow-up of gout deposition after initiation of urate-lowering therapy (ULT). Objectives We aimed to determine the ability of US to show disappearance of urate deposits in gouty patients requiring ULT. Methods To be included in this prospective single-centre study, patients needed to exhibit 1) proven gout by crystals in synovial fluid and 2) US-evidenced urate deposits (double contour [DC] sign and/or tophi) before starting ULT. At baseline and after 6 months of ULT, one trained ultrasonographer assessed the knee and first metatarsophalangeal (MTP1s) joints. Serum uric-acid (SUA) level was assessed at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after ULT initiation. Correlation between US findings and achievement of SUA level objective (