What are the clinical symptoms of gout?
The most common and early clinical presentation of gout is acute arthritis, which affect only single joint initially, but later on many joints may be involved. The most commonly involved joint (in initial episode of arthritis) is metatarsophalangeal joint of the first toe, but other joints like tarsal joints, ankles, and knee joints are also commonly involved. Finger joints may be involved, especially in elderly persons and in advanced disease. The first episode of acute gouty arthritis generally begins at night with severe joint pain and swelling of the involved joint, which become warm, red, and tender very rapidly (can mimic cellulites sometimes). Sometimes inflamed Heberden’s or Bouchard’s nodes may be a first episode of gouty arthritis. The initial attack of arthritis generally subside in less than a week time, some of the patients may have intervals of varying length with no symptoms whatsoever in intervals, only to return in the next episode.
