bone, joint, and muscle disorders
Calcium Pyrophosphate (CPP) Arthritis
Diagnosis of CPP Arthritis
Microscopic examination of joint fluid Sometimes x-rays or ultrasonography Doctors suspect CPP arthritis in older people with arthritis, particularly when joints are intermittently swollen, warm, and painful. Doctors confirm the diagnosis by removing a fluid sample from an inflamed joint through a needle ( Joint aspiration (arthrocentesis) ). CPP dihydrate crystals are found in the joint fluid. They can be distinguished from uric acid crystals (which cause gout) using a special microscope with polarized light. X-rays may show masses of crystals in a joint's cartilage suggests the diagnosis. 