Abstract
Gout is a relatively common inflammatory arthritis that is typically known to occur
in middle-aged men. The prevalence of gout appears to be shifting, however, and is
increasing in the elderly population. Gout is characterized by severely intense pain
and can greatly impact patient quality of life. The study of gout and associated conditions
appears to have received research attention in the past, however there is a resurgence
in gout interest due to the abundance of novel evidence surrounding its diagnosis,
pathophysiology, and treatment. In this review we describe a general overview of gout
including its assessment/diagnosis, clinical presentations, predisposing factors,
pathophysiology, abortive and prophylactic therapy to control gouty inflammation,
and the potential future direction of gout treatment.
Perspective
Gout is an underappreciated and extremely painful condition. Over the last 2 years
new thought on pathophysiology of gout taking into account the inflammasome and new
therapeutic agents have changed management strategies.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 28, 2011
Identification
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© 2011 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
