Dual-energy computed tomography in the diagnosis of gout

Background: Gout is recognized as the most common cause of inflammatory arthritis. It results in intense and painful arthritis attacks, triggered by an inflammatory reaction to the deposition of monosodium urate crystals (MSU-crystals) in the joints. DECT has proven to be a useful method with clinical applications that have already been validated. The technology can assist in overcoming diagnostic challenges that may arise when using conventional computed tomography (CT). Aim: The aim of this study was to examine how DECT can contribute to the diagnosis of gout. Material and method: This study was a general literature review that included 15 scientific articles published between 2020-2025. All articles were written in English and had undergone peer-review. The literature search was conducted with the Cinahl and Pubmed databases. To assess the quality of the studies, a review protocol for quantitative studies, developed by the Department of Nursing at Jönköping University, was used. Results: A total of 15 scientific articles were included that addressed the aim of the study. The results showed that DECT is a useful technique for identifying MSU-crystals. At the same time, several studies emphasized that DECT demonstrated varying sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity ranged from 31% to 90%, while the specificity ranged from 61% to 100%. Conclusion: The results showed that DECT is a promising imaging technique for identifying gout and offers new opportunities for visualizing MSU-crystals. Several of the studies, which were included in this general literature study, showed that DECT achieved high specificity, sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy, particularly in the identification of tophi and MSU-crystals.