Gout may either appear without any provocation (referred to as acute gout or acute gouty arthritis)

 or

Gout may be characterized by frequent attacks of the condition over a period of time (referred to as chronic gouty arthritis or chronic gout).

Acute gout usually affects a single joint or multiple joints of the lower leg. The big toe is most commonly affected. Other sites may include the middle toes, ankle or the knee joints.

The pain which often begins in the mornings becomes so severe by night that the individual cannot touch the toes during the flare up. Redness and swelling may be noticed on the affected joints with fever in certain occasions.

These features subside within a week’s duration with or without treatment. Some individuals may not have any further such attacks while others may experience such episodes frequently and may progress to develop chronic gout.

Chronic gout

Chronic gout is characterized by frequent attacks of acute gout in a year’s duration with completely asymptomatic states in between the attacks. As the condition progresses small nodules of uric acid crystals (tophi) may begin to be deposited in the soft-tissues of the body.

The most common sites for such deposition include the helix of the ear, base of the great toe and fingers, wrist, fingers and Achilles tendon.

The tophi may develop about 10 or more years after the initial attack of acute gout and cause pain, damage of the soft- tissues of the joints, destruction of the joints and compression of the nerve fibers in that area.^{1, 2}     

Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date last Updated: April 11, 2012