Crystal Arthropathies Flashcards
What is gout
Common disorder of uric acid metabolism
Monosodium urate crystals get deposited in soft tissues
What does the variation of gout depend on
Variation reflects environmental, dietary and genetic influences
how much of the population does gout affect
1% of population
Who is gout common in
men and men earlier than women
What is the main crystals that are formed in gout
Monosodium urate crystals
What happens if gout is untreated
Joint destruction
Renal damage - most of the monosodium urate crystals are excreted via the kidney therefore higher risk of kidney stones and thus kidney damage
describe attacks of gout
- may have gout attacks and then may never get another one or you may a few months later
Why are men more at risk of developing gout
Men are more at risk of developing gout as serum uric acid levels are higher to begin with, urinci acid levels start to increase at the time of puberty in men whereas in women it doesn’t start to develop and raise until menopause
How long does uric acid have to increase before the onset of gout
Uric acid levels raised for 20 years before onset of gout
describe the pathophysiology of gout
Presence of urate crystals in the synovial fluid are not enough to cause an attack as they are inert as they are coated with serum proteins already present in the synovial fluid
Get a sudden increase in the number of crystals that are forming and the body is not able to respond by coating the crystals with the serum proteins and thus there are some uncoated cryrstals in the joint which trigger the attack
Crystals can be uptake by neutrophils, pierce the neutrophil and cause it to die, cell releases the proteins, proteins call in more white blood cells and cause inflammation and pain, proteins lower pH making it possible for more crystals to form
When are the crystals in gout not harmful
Presence Clumps (microtophi) of highly negatively charged monosodium urate crystals normally coated with serum proteins are inert and are not enough to cause an attack as they are inert as they are coated with serum proteins already present in the synovial fluid
when is gout unlikely to start before the age of
Gout unlikely before 30 years of age
what joint is gout more likely to affect
Podagra (inflammation of 1st MTP joint)
50% of cases
- less blood supply and colder so already has a lower pH
when does gout begin
Begins suddenly and reach maximum intensity with 8-12 hours
What joints does gout affect
Acute monoarticular
- 90% of cases
Small lower extremity joints
What patients characteristic for this with gout
- male
- high uric acid
- overweight
What is the joint must commonly affected by gout
1st metatarsal phalagenal joint
what is the largest joint affected by gout
knee
what over areas of the body are affected by gout
- renal damage
- tophi in cartilage
describe what the symptoms of gout
Joint
- Red
- Hot
- Exquisitely tender
- Pain starts acutely and usually at night
how long does gout take to resolve itself
Untreated 1st attacks resolve spontaneously in less than 2 weeks
gout has …
intermittent cycles
every time you have a gout flare…
- become more painful
- last longer
- until eventually the pain is there all the time due to the damage to the bone and joint
What happens if gout is untreated
Attacks become polyarticular
More proximal and upper extremity joints involved
Attacks more frequent and last longer
Chronic polyarticular arthritis almost symmetrical
Can affect other synovial structures
rat bite erosions - were the joint capsule is inserting, these are on the main shaft
what happens in an acute gout attack
- phagocytosis of crystals
- cell swelling and inflammationsome activation
- cytokine production and vasodilation
- neutrophil and monocytes influx
What happens in chronic tophaceous gout
- neutrophil death by NETosis
- packaging of MSU crystals
- inactivation of inflammatory cytokines
- resolution of inflammation
What is tophi
Urate crystals in soft tissues
how many patients with gout have tophi
Develop in 50% of patients with untreated gout
Develop after 10 years
usually patients who are untreated