title: The prevalence of monosodium urate and calcium pyrophosphate crystals in synovial fluid from wrist and finger joints.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of monosodium urate (MSU) and calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystals in synovial fluids (SFs) aspirated from wrist and finger joints of patients with previously diagnosed joint diseases. We reviewed the results of SF analysis of 1593 samples and identified 126 patients with effusions in the small joints of the hands and wrists. We reported from patients' medical files data about sex, age, diagnosis, disease duration and the microscopic SF results. The prevalence of CPP crystals in SF was 85.71% in CPP-crystals arthritis (CPP-CA), 19.35% in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 13.89% in osteoarthritis (OA) and 0% in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), spondyloarthritis (SpA), gout and miscellanea. The prevalence of MSU crystals in SF was 83.3% in gout, 10% in PsA, 2.8% in OA and 0% in RA, SpA, miscellanea and CPP-CA. Consistent with previously reported data concerning the big joints, microcrystals can be frequently found also in the small joints of patients with previous diagnosis. The finding underlines the importance of analyzing SF from the hand and wrist joints in the attempt to identify comorbidities associated with the presence of crystals and to develop targeted treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galozzi
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliviero
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frallonardo
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Favero
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Ariela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoxha
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scanu
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariagrazia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorenzin
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Augusta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortolan
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Punzi
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy. roberta.ramonda@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramonda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002131:Calcium Pyrophosphate / Q000032:analysis*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003460:Crystallization; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid; D002131:Calcium Pyrophosphate
keywords: Hand diseases; Monosodium urate crystals; Pyrophosphate crystals; Synovial fluid