Gout is a disorder caused by deposition of
monosodium urate crystals in joints and other tissues as
a result of extracellular urate supersaturation.
Hyperuricemia, a concentration of urate in serum above
the limit of solubility of this substance (V 7.0 mg/dL), is
the most important risk factor for the development of
gout and occurs as a result of increased uric acid
production, impaired renal uric acid excretion, or a
combination of these mechanisms. Control of
hyperuricemia is most often achieved by reducing uric