https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2015.827

A method for counting monosodium urate crystals in synovial fluid

Vol. 67 No. 1 (2015)
Submitted: 5 May 2015
Accepted: 18 June 2015
Published: 30 June 2015
Gout, Monosodium urate crystals, Synovial fluid, Polarized microscopy.
Abstract Views: 1871
PDF: 1020
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Authors

P. Montagna
Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
R. Brizzolara
Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
C. Ferrone
Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
M. Cutolo
Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
S. Paolino
Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
M.A. Cimmino
cimmino@unige.it
Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
This study was aimed to standardize the technique for counting monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the synovial fluid (SF) of patients with gout. A total of 52 SF specimens were examined under a polarized light microscope. The amount of SF ranged between 0.1 and 45 mL (median 3 mL). MSU crystals were counted in four areas with the same size at 400x magnification. Cytological examination of the same specimens was also performed. Median leukocyte count was 400 cells/mm3 (range 50-14,000 cells/mm3), with a median percentage of polymorphonuclear leukocytes of 9% (range 0%-98%). Median crystal count was 179.5 (range 3-1600). Inter- reader and intra-reader agreement in crystal counting were good with a weighed k of 0.89 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85-0.94] and 0.89 (95% CI 0.84-0.93), respectively. Our data indicate that the SF MSU crystal count is a feasible and highly reliable technique.

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How to Cite

Montagna, P., Brizzolara, R., Ferrone, C., Cutolo, M., Paolino, S., & Cimmino, M. (2015). A method for counting monosodium urate crystals in synovial fluid. Reumatismo, 67(1), 29–32. https://doi.org/10.4081/reumatismo.2015.827

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