Gout: a clinical syndrome illustrated and discussed.

Abstract

Gout is an acute inflammatory arthritis with the potency to fully destroy the integrity of the joint leading to severe disability. Besides joint destruction, gout is often associated with an accelerated atherosclerosis culminating in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The current existing therapy modalities allow an efficient treatment that not only controls local inflammation but might also have an effect on the generalised features that surround this condition. Here we discuss the modes of clinical appearance, how we are nowadays supposed to treat gout and the current knowledge about the pathogenesis of this clinical syndrome.