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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What are the symptoms of gout?

    Related Topics
    Gout Rheumatology
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    Dr Irwin Lim

    Rheumatologist

    Irwin has been a rheumatologist in Sydney since 2003. He is a co-founder and medical director of BJC Health, which consists of a team of … View Profile

    The first attack of gout often occurs in the big toe but many other joints can be affected.Patients describe acute pain, redness, swelling and exquisite tenderness of the affected joint developing over a few hours. Sometimes, patients will wake up with this attack.Occasionally, the patient can have fever associated with an attack, and coupled with the very acute inflammation at the joint, it can be quite difficult to differentiate from an infected joint.

    Over years, if the high uric acid levels or hyperuricaemia are not reduced,  the uric acid crystals accumulate into large visible nodules under the skin and around the joints. These are called tophi. Tophi erode the joints resulting in permanent joint deformity and can rupture through the skin and become infected.Uric acid crystals can also collect in the kidneys leading to kidney stones and reduced kidney function. 

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