[Gout : From the diagnosis to guideline-based treatment]

Gout is an autoinflammatory disease triggered by chronic hyperuricemia and causes extremely painful joint inflammation. If left untreated gout can lead to irreversible joint damage and significantly impair the quality of life of affected patients. In addition to classical diagnostic methods, such as serum uric acid measurement and joint aspiration, imaging techniques, such as ultrasound and dual-energy computed tomography (CT) are becoming increasingly more important. The treatment of acute gout attacks focuses on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), glucocorticoids and colchicine. The long-term management involves uric acid-lowering treatment with xanthine oxidase inhibitors (e.g., allopurinol). Another key element of treatment is flare prevention during the first months of uric acid-lowering treatment to minimize the risk of further gout attacks. As gout is a chronic disease adherence to the intake of uric acid-lowering medications is crucial for long-term treatment success.