Gout is an arthritis characterized by the deposition of sodium monoacid crystals in the synovial membrane, articular cartilage, and periarticular tissues that leads to an inflamatory process. In most cases, the diagnosis is established by clinical criteria and analysis of the synovial fluid for MSU crystals. However, gout may manifest in atypical ways and make diagnosis difficult. In these situations, imaging studies play a fundamental role in helping to confirm the diagnosis or even exclude other differential diagnoses. Conventional radiography is still the most commonly used method in the follow-up of these patients, but it is a very insensitive test, because it only detects late changes. In recent years, advances in imaging methods have emerged in relation to gout. Ultrasound has proven to be a highly accurate test in the diagnosis of gout, identifying MSU deposits in articular cartilage and periarticular tissues, and detecting and characterizing tophi, tendinopathies, and tophi enthesopathies. Computed tomography is an excellent exam for the detection of bone erosions and evaluation of spinal involvement. Dual-energy computed tomography, a new method that provides information on the chemical composition of tissues, allows identification of MSU deposits with high accuracy. MRI can be useful in the evaluation of deep tissues not accessible by ultrasound. In addition to diagnosis, with the emergence of drugs that aim to reduce the tophaceous burden, imaging examinations become a useful tool in the follow-up treatment of gout patients.

Objective: To describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the brain in patients younger than 65 years who were studied by transcranial Doppler (TCD) with microbubble contrast, with a history of cryptogenic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and suspected patent foramen ovale (PFO).

Materials and methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients of both sexes, younger than 65 years of age.

Results: Our sample (n = 47.47% male and 53% female, mean age is 42 years) presented high-intensity transient signals (HITS) positive in 61.7% and HITS-negative in 38.3%. In HITS-positive patients, lesions at the level of the subcortical U-brains, single or multiple with bilaterally symmetrical distribution, predominated. In patients with moderate HITS, lesions in the vascular territory of the posterior circulation predominated.

Conclusion: In patients younger than 65 years with cryptogenic stroke and subcortical, single or multiple U-shaped lesions with bilateral and symmetrical distribution, a PFO should be considered as a possible cause of these lesions.