To investigate whether multi-joint ultrasound (US) findings in patients with gouty arthritis could be used to distinguish between acute and chronic stages, we performed a retrospective study with 129 enrolled patients from the Rheumatology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College from September 1, 2018 to June 12, 2019. Patients with acute or non-acute gout were categorized using clinical data, and US imaging findings of the knees, ankles and first metatarsophalangeal joints were analyzed and compared between groups. Notably, we found that the most prevalent sign detected by US was the hyperechoic spot in the synovium, followed by arthrosynovitis, aggregates, double contour signs and tophi; meanwhile, bone erosions were the least common. Additionally, synovitis was more frequently detected in the acute joints of gouty arthritis (49%) compared with the non-acute joints (35%), whereas grade 1 or 2 blood flow classifications (97%), tophi and bone lesions were more often seen in the latter. Overall, our data suggest that multi-joint US scanning might be used to evaluate disease severity and discriminate between stages of gouty arthritis.

We describe a 61-year-old woman with "broken heart syndrome" (Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy) after abrupt postsurgical withdrawal of OxyContin. Her medical history was remarkable for long-term opiold dependence associated with the treatment of multi-Joint degenerative osteoarthritis. The patient presented to the emergency department 1 day after discharge from the hospital following total knee arthroplasty revision with acute-onset dyspnea and mild chest pain. She had precordial ST-segment elevation characteristic of acute myocardial infarction and elevated cardiac biomarkers. Emergency coronary angiography revealed no major coronary atherosclerosis. However, the left ventricular ejection fraction was severely decreased (26%), and new regional wall motion abnormalities typical of broken heart syndrome were noted. In addition to resuming her opioid therapy, she was treated supportively with bilevel positive airway pressure, diuretic therapy, morphine, aspirin, metoprolol, enalaprilat, intravenous heparin, nitroglycerin infusion, and dopamine infusion. Ventricular systolic function recovered completely by the fourth hospital day. To our knowledge, broken heart syndrome after opioid withdrawal has not been reported previously in an adult. Our case illustrates the importance of continuing adequate opiate therapy perioperatively in the increasing number of opioid-dependent patients to prevent potentially life-threatening complications such as broken heart syndrome.

This paper described the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in 20 patients with an unusual form of arthritis. All but two were above the age of 20 years (range 14-79). There were eight males and 12 females. The majority of them had fever. All had multi-joint involvement. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was elevated (mean 74 mm./hr.). All recovered completely with penicillin and salicylates; there were recurrences in two, but no tendency to chronicity.