Wu M, Liu FJ, Chen J, et al. - Researchers investigated the prevalence, distribution, and factors related to bone erosion detectable by ultrasound in gout patients. They examined 980 patients with gout via ultrasound and detected bone erosion. They calculated the prevalence as well as the distribution of bone erosion in gout patients. Of 980 patients, 431 (44.0%) had bone erosion, and bone erosion in the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint was detected in 338 (78.4%) of these patients. Findings revealed bone erosions in a high percentage of gout patients; the most commonly involved site was the first MTP joint. Factors related to bone erosion in gout patients were age, duration of gout, tophi, and synovial hypertrophy. Findings also revealed a strong association of the number of tophi, but not of their size, with bone erosion in patients with gout.