Chronic gouty arthritis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Uric acid crystals

Chronic gouty arthritis

Definition:

Gout is a disease involving uric acid deposits in the joints. The disorder causes pain, especially in the joints of the feet and legs. Patients with chronic gout have repeated episodes of joint pain.

Alternative Names:

Gout - chronic; Gouty arthritis - chronic

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Gout is caused by an overproduction of uric acid or a reduced ability of the kidney to get rid of uric acid. The exact cause is unknown. It is more common in males, postmenopausal women, and people with high blood pressure. Heavy alcohol use, diabetes, obesity, sickle cell anemia, and kidney disease also increase the risk.

The condition may also develop in people who take drugs that interfere with uric acid excretion.

Review Date: 8/2/2005
Reviewed By: Ariel D. Teitel, M.D., M.B.A., Chief, Division of Rheumatology, St. Vincent's Hospital, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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