 It is our hypothesis that MR imaging and US will detect the skeletal changes that are typical of gout much sooner than would plain radiography. We also hypothesize that these same imaging techniques will be able to detect signs of hyperuricemic silent deposition in asymptomatic joints of patients with symptomatic gout in other joints. As was the case with RA, the expected results of this study would mandate more aggressive therapy of both gout and hyperuricemia. 