[Treatment of gout in 2006]

Gout is one of the oldest and better understood among rheumatic diseases. It is characterized by chronic hyperuricemia and recurrent attacks of acute arthritis provoked by release of sodium urate crystals into joints. The manifestations of Gout can be abolished by lifelong urate-lowering therapy maintainine serum urate levels under 360 mmol/l. The management of a minority of patients, including those with renal impairment, is difficult and often unsatisfactory because of restricted treatment options. In this paper; the current options for treating hyperuricemia are first discussed then followed by new approches.