Articular and periarticular spinal calcifications in relation to synovial fluid findings in patients with calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease (CPPD)

Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation

Table 1 Characters of CPPD deposition disease patients, plain radiography, and MSUS detection of calcifications and synovial fluid finding of CPPD crystals in studied group

Parameter mean ± SD and/or n (%)		CPPD patients n = 100
Age (years)		62.2 ± 4.5
Gender F to M		58:42
Disease duration (years)		14.5 ± 3.1
Plain radiography	Spinal calcification	55 (55)
	Intervertebral disc calcification	16 (16)
	Anterior longitudinal ligament	43 (43)
	Posterior longitudinal ligament	20 (20) 3 (3)
	Ligamentum flavum	38 (38)
	Knee calcification	16 (16)
	Wrist calcification
Musculoskeletal ultrasound	Knee calcification	93 (93)
	Pattern of calcification
	Pattern I	55 (55)
	Pattern II	67 (67)
	Pattern III	10 (10)
	Wrist calcification	27 (27)
	Pattern of calcification
	Pattern I	3 (3)
	Pattern II	26 (26)
	Pattern III	0
Synovial fluid finding of CPPD crystals		(97)

On conventional radiography, spinal calcification was found in 55 patients (55%); the commonest site was anterior longitudinal ligament (43%), posterior longitudinal ligament (20%), intervertebral disc (16%), and ligamentum flavum (3%). Meniscal calcification was found in 38 patients (38%); triangular fibrocartilage calcifications of the wrist were found in 16 patients (16%)
MSUS showed CPPD calcifications in the menisci, femoral hyaline cartilage, and bursae and articular recesses in the knee joint in 93 patients (93%) and in the triangular fibrocartilage of the wrist in 27 patients (27%)
Three patients out of 100 patients (3%); CPPD crystals could not be detected by synovial fluid analysis by polarized light microscopy, but could be shown by MSUS