Treatment strategies for calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease

Abstract

Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) is a cause of inflammatory arthropathy that increases in prevalence with increasing age, presents in acute and chronic forms, and is characterized by the finding of positively birefringent crystals on polarized microscopy of synovial fluid. This review finds that although strides are being made in CPPD diagnosis and classification, CPPD remains a poorly understood, unrecognized, and debilitating disease. As a consequence, treatment options usually lack supportive evidence and there has been little progress in novel drug development for the condition. This article aims to discuss the updated evidence on treatment options for CPPD and identifies promising future areas for improvement.