Deimantė Pociūtė1
1Lithuanian university of health sciences, Medical Academy, Faculty of Medicine
Abstract
Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease is caused by the deposition of crystals in the cartilage of the joints and the surrounding soft tissues. Clinical expression of CPPD is arthropathy. It usually occurs in the elderly patients and is characterized by a variety of clinical forms. Typically, it occurs with acute knee arthritis and X-ray signs of chondrocalcinosis (calcification of the lateral cartilage).
This article presents a review of literature on the significance of ultrasound, X-ray, computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosis of CPPD disease. The sensitivity and specificity of each study were analyzed. Most of the articles concluded that X-ray and ultrasound were the most reliable and accurate methods for diagnosing the disease. The specificity and sensitivity of CT were sufficient, but it was rarely used to diagnose CPPD due to the high exposure and negative ratio of benefits and harm. The reliability and accuracy of the BMR study was not evaluated due to lack of data.
Keywords: calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, calcium pyrophosphate crystals, ultrasound, x-ray, computed tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance