Wu M, et al. - A total of 980 gout patients were analyzed to examine the prevalence, distribution, and aspects correlated with bone erosion identified by ultrasound in gout cases. An independent relation of age, duration of gout, the existence of tophi, ultrasound-detected synovial hypertrophy and joint effusion with bone erosion was noted. Among them, a tophus was the most influential factor linked to bone erosion. They also reported an increase in the risk of bone erosion with the number of tophi increased; while size of tophi did not significantly increase risk. They noticed the first metatarsophalangeal joint was the most frequently involved site.