odagra" redirects here. For the moth genus, see Podagra (moth).
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Gout
Classification and external resources
A small fierce creature with sharp teeth is biting into a swollen foot at the base of the big toe
The Gout (James Gillray, 1799) depicts the pain of the artist's gout as a demon or dragon.[1][2]
ICD-10 M10
ICD-9 274.00 274.1 274.8 274.9
OMIM 138900 300323
DiseasesDB 29031
MedlinePlus 000422
eMedicine emerg/221 med/924 med/1112 oph/506 orthoped/124 radio/313
MeSH D006073
Gout (also known as podagra when it involves the big toe)[3] is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected (approximately 50% of cases). However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate nephropathy. It is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. The uric acid crystallizes, and the crystals deposit in joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues.
Clinical diagnosis may be confirmed by seeing the characteristic crystals in joint fluid. Treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, or colchicine improves symptoms. Once the acute attack subsides, levels of uric acid are usually lowered via lifestyle changes, and in those with frequent attacks, allopurinol or probenecid provide long-term prevention.
Gout has become more common in recent decades, affecting about 1–2% of the Western population at some point in their lives. The increase is believed to be due to increasing risk factors in the population, such as metabolic syndrome, longer life expectancy, and changes in diet. Gout was historically known as "the disease of kings" or "rich man's disease."