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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

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People with gout can develop more-severe conditions, such as:

  • Recurrent gout. Some people may never experience gout signs and symptoms again. But others may experience gout several times each year. Medications may help prevent gout attacks in people with recurrent gout.
  • Advanced gout. Untreated gout may cause deposits of urate crystals to form under the skin in nodules called tophi (TOE-fi). Tophi can develop in several areas such as your fingers, hands, feet, elbows or Achilles tendons along the back of your ankle. Tophi usually aren't painful, but they can become swollen and tender during gout attacks.
  • Kidney stones. Urate crystals may collect in the urinary tract of people with gout, causing kidney stones. Medications can help reduce the risk of kidney stones.
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. Gout. American College of Rheumatology. http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/patients/diseases_and_conditions/gout.asp. Accessed Oct. 20, 2011.
  2. Gout. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/musculoskeletal_and_connective_tissue_disorders/crystal-induced_arthritides/gout.html. Accessed Oct. 20, 2011.
  3. Becker MA. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of gout. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 24, 2011.
  4. Becker MA. Treatment of acute gout. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 20, 2011.
  5. Hayman S, et al. Gout: Is a purine-restricted diet still recommended? Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009;109:1652.
  6. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm. Accessed Oct. 25, 2011.
  7. Demio PC. Gout. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-2/0/1494/0.html. Accessed Oct. 24, 2011.
  8. Yu K-H, et al. Dietary factors associated with hyperuricemia in adults. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. 2008;37:243.
  9. Becker MA. Prevention of recurrent gout. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 20, 2011.
  10. Zimmerman B. Gout. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..C2009-0-38601-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&uniqId=291436269-101. Accessed Oct. 24, 2011.
  11. Questions and answers about gout. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/default.asp. Accessed Oct. 24, 2011.
  12. Neogi T. Gout. New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;364:443.
DS00090 Dec. 6, 2011

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