Prevalence of Calcified Meniscal Cartilage in Elderly Persons

Abstract

SINCE 1933 sporadic reports have described roentgenographically evident calcification of the articular cartilage and menisci,1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 but in the last two years this finding has received considerable attention as a cardinal, if not pathognomonic, feature of a condition known as chondrocalcinosis articularis or pseudogout. This syndrome, first described by Zitnan and Sitaj9 in 1960, is manifested by episodes of acute monoarticular inflammation of the larger joints that are in many ways similar to that encountered in gout.10 11 12 Although hyperuricemia is occasionally present the syndrome is differentiated from true gout by the finding of crystals of calcium pyrophosphate in aspirated synovial fluid . . .