T1rho mapping cartilage and menisci in patients with hyperuricaemia at 3 T; a preliminary study

AIM
To compare and assess T1rho values of the femorotibial cartilage compartments and subregional menisci in patients with hyperuricaemia at 3 T.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty-two patients were enrolled in the study and were subdivided into two subgroups: 15 healthy controls (three women, 12 men; mean age = 45.3 ± 10.9 years, age range 25–72 years) and 17 patients with asymptomatic hyperuricaemia (two women, 15 men; mean age = 44.4 ± 12.7 years, age range 26–77 years). All patients were evaluated using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using an eight-channel phased-array knee coil (transmit–receive). Wilcoxon's rank sum test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were conducted to determine whether there were any statistically significant differences in the T1rho values of the femorotibial cartilage compartments and subregional menisci between the two subgroups.

RESULTS
Lateral tibial cartilage (45.8 ± 2.9 ms) in the healthy subgroup had significantly lower (p<0.05) T1rho values than those of all subcompartments of the femorotibial cartilage in the hyperuricaemia subgroup. The lateral femoral cartilage (LF) in hyperuricaemia (54.6 ± 3.9 ms) subgroup had significantly higher (p<0.05) T1rho values than those of all subcompartments of the femorotibial cartilage except the LF in the healthy subgroup. Significantly higher (p<0.05) T1rho values existed in the LF of the healthy (54.6 ± 4.7 ms) subgroup in comparison with those of all subcompartments of femorotibial cartilage except the LF in hyperuricaemia subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS
T1rho values in certain compartments of the femorotibial cartilage in patients with hyperuricaemia are elevated compared to those in healthy patients presumably due to reduced proteoglycan content, to which particular attention should be paid when diagnosing and treating the patients with hyperuricaemia in a clinical setting.