clinical features

Gout is considered a progressive disease which will eventually end up as severe tophaceous gout (with joint damage and significant functional impairment) in the absence of effective long-term therapy (1).

The disease is commonly divided into the following phases:

• initial asymptomatic hyperuricaemia
• recurrent acute gout  attacks interspersed with asymptomatic intercritical periods
• chronic symptomatic tophaceous gout (with inadequately treated hyperuricemia) (1).

Note:

• it should be noted that these are not discrete phases but a continuum (1).

Reference:

• (1) Doherty M. New insights into the epidemiology of gout. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2009;48 Suppl 2:ii2-ii8

Last reviewed 07/2021