gout

a disease caused by a disturbance of purine metabolism and by deposits of urates in the tissues, affecting mainly the joints and kidneys.

Gout constitutes 2.5 percent of all cases of joint diseases. Primary gout results from diet or from congenital metabolic disorders that cause such forms of the disease as familial gout. Secondary gout, which is less common, is caused by lead poisoning, by some diseases of the blood, and, less commonly, by other factors.

Gout chiefly affects middle-aged men. It is chronic or occurs in the form of acute recurrent attacks. An attack of gouty arthritis is marked by sudden pain, generally in the big toe. The pain rapidly intensifies and is accompanied by swelling and reddening. An attack can be provoked by trauma, excessive cold, or ingestion of alcohol or of food rich in purine bases and lasts from several hours to several days. After an attack, the pain subsides and the functions of the joint are restored. However, each new attack is longer and more intense. In most cases, gout gradually becomes chronic. Owing to the increased uric-acid concentration in the blood serum, urates are deposited in the tissues, generally near the external concha auriculae and around the joints, whose movements as a result become limited. The kidneys are frequently affected.

Gout is diagnosed on the basis of the following symptoms: acute attacks of painful swelling of a single joint, generally the big toe; deposits of urates (tophi); elevated uric-acid levels in the blood serum; the presence of uric-acid crystals in the synovia or synovial fluid; and characteristic changes in roentgenograms of joints.

Acute attacks of gout are treated with bed rest, colchicine, Rheopyrine, Ketazon, Indacin, or other agents capable of arresting the attacks. Chronic forms of the disease are treated with sodium carbonate, Anturane, Benemid, allopurinol, and other drugs that prevent the formation of uric acid or accelerate its excretion from the body. Drinking of copious fluids is recommended, and a diet low in calories and purines is prescribed. Consumption of alcohol, meat broths, liver, and kidneys is prohibited. Eggs and cheese are permitted in limited amounts, and fruit and groats are allowed. A stay at a health resort is recommended if the kidneys are not involved.