Gout special interest group proposal for a research agenda in the area of imaging for gout outcomes.
| General Question | Specific Project (examples) |
|---|---|
| Scoring systems and reliability | Investigation of the pathologic significance of US and DECT features that could contribute to an outcome score, in particular the double-contour sign, using histopathological correlation in patients with established gout |
| Investigation of US and DECT features that could contribute to an outcome score, in patients with gout at various stages of disease | |
| Elaboration of a meaningful scoring system for US- and DECT-defined urate deposition, and testing of inter- and intraobserver reliability in early and established gout | |
| Investigation into the choice of joints required to construct a meaningful score for US and DECT, in patients with early and established gout, in the domains of urate burden and inflammation | |
| Patient acceptability | Qualitative analysis of patient perceptions of discomfort, convenience, and outcome in gout patients undergoing routine US, DECT, XR, and MRI |
| Sensitivity to change in longitudinal outcome studies | Investigation into the longitudinal behavior of DECT-summated urate deposition in early untreated disease and in established disease after introduction of urate-lowering therapy |
| Investigation of MRI features of inflammation over the short (acute attack) and long (intercritical periods) term in patients with active gout | |
| Investigation of US features of inflammation over the short term (acute attack) and urate deposition over the long term (intercritical periods) in patients with active gout | |
| Determining whether XR damage scores change over time in patients with established gout and whether there are any patient or treatment factors associated with XR progression | |
| Between-group differences in randomized controlled trials | Determining whether inflammation, urate deposition, or damage scores change in response to effective urate-lowering therapy in patients with established gout |
| Investigation into whether observed changes in imaging scores in response to treatment are associated with changes in patient-reported outcomes, for example physical function |
XR: radiography; CT: computed tomography; DECT: dual-energy computed tomography; MRI: magnetic resonance imaging; US: ultrasound.