Gout overview
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Gout overview On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Gout (also called metabolic arthritis) is a disease due to a congenital disorder of uric acid metabolism. In this condition, monosodium urate or uric acid crystals are deposited on the articular cartilage of joints, tendons and surrounding tissues due to elevated concentrations of uric acid in the blood stream. This provokes an inflammatory reaction of these tissues. These deposits often increase in size and burst through the skin to form sinuses discharging a chalky white material.
Historical Perspective
Aulus Cornelius Celsus appeared to recognize many of the features of gout. Galen described gout as a discharge of the four humors of the body in unbalanced amounts into the joints.
Pathophysiology
Gout occurs when mono-sodium urate crystals form on the articular cartilage of joints, on tendons, and in the surrounding tissues. Purine metabolism gives rise to uric acid, which is normally excreted in the urine. Defects in the kidney may cause uric acid to build up in the blood, leading to hyperuricemia, and the subsequent formation of gout crystals.