Physiopathology and treatment of acute gouty arthritis

Abstract Severe gouty arthritis is a clinical expression of a very intense inflammatory process. The initial pathogenic event which sets off the chain process is the intraarticular deposit of monosodium urate crystals. However, urate crystals do not always promote an inflammatory process (e.g., dormant tophus), and only a minority of patients with hyperuricemia develop gout. The therapeutic bases for gout should be based on the knowledge surrounding the physiopathology of the inflammatory process. In this study, we present the physiopathology of severe gouty arthritis in order to improve understanding of its treatment.