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First experience with single-source dual-energy computed tomography in six patients with acute arthralgia: a feasibility experiment using joint aspiration as a reference

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Abstract

Objectives

Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) is an emerging imaging technique for examining patients with suspected gout. Single-source dual-energy CT (S-DECT) is a new way of obtaining DECT information on conventional CT scanners rather than using special dual-source CT systems.

Methods

We tested the feasibility of S-DECT (320-row CT; Aquilion ONE, Toshiba Medical Systems, Otawara, Japan) in 6 patients (5 men, 1 woman; mean age 61.3, range 48 to 69 years) with acute arthralgia and suspected gout, and compared the S-DECT findings with the results of joint aspiration.

Results

Three patients had a diagnosis of gouty arthritis with negatively birefringent crystals in synovial fluid, in addition to gouty tophi in S-DECT. Three patients had no detectable crystals by polarization microscopy and no tophi on DECT. Their final diagnoses were rheumatoid arthritis, activated osteoarthritis, and septic arthritis in one case each.

Conclusion

This initial experience suggests that S-DECT might be a valuable alternative to dual-source CT. Hence, more patients may benefit from its additional diagnostic abilities in the future.

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Conflict of interest

This work was supported by Toshiba Medical Systems. JM is an employee of Toshiba Medical Systems Europe and took part in the study design and the writing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Mitte, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Torsten Diekhoff, Tobias Kiefer, Bernd Hamm & Kay-Geert A Hermann

  2. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Mitte, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Katharina Ziegeler & Eugen Feist

  3. Toshiba Medical Systems Europe, BV, Zilverstraat 1, 2701 RP, Zoetermeer, Netherlands

    Jürgen Mews

Authors
  1. Torsten Diekhoff
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  2. Katharina Ziegeler
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  3. Eugen Feist
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  4. Tobias Kiefer
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  5. Jürgen Mews
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  6. Bernd Hamm
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  7. Kay-Geert A Hermann
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Correspondence to Torsten Diekhoff.

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Diekhoff, T., Ziegeler, K., Feist, E. et al. First experience with single-source dual-energy computed tomography in six patients with acute arthralgia: a feasibility experiment using joint aspiration as a reference. Skeletal Radiol 44, 1573–1577 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-015-2204-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-015-2204-7

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