Definition: Gout is a crystalline arthritis caused by disorders of purine metabolism and/or decreased uric acid excretion. Clinical manifestations: Single joint or swollen pain that often occurs suddenly at night, with peak pain in 24-48 hours, may be accompanied by systemic manifestations such as fever, headache, nausea, palpitations, chills, discomfort and elevated white blood cells and increased blood sedimentation. Gout stones may be formed in the joints and around the joints at a later stage. In addition to deposition in and around joints, tendons, gout stones can also be deposited in the kidneys, and uric acid nephropathy and uric acid urinary tract stones can occur, and in severe cases, renal insufficiency can occur. Gout is often associated with obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. How to diagnose: Mainly rely on clinical manifestations, blood uric acid level, looking for urate crystals and imaging examination. How to treat: 1. General treatment (1) Dietary control: Patients with gout should adopt a low-calorie diet to maintain ideal body weight and, at the same time, avoid high-purine foods. Foods containing more purines include animal offal, sardines, clams, oysters and other seafood and thick meat soup, followed by fish and shrimp, meat and peas, while various cereal products, fruits, vegetables, milk, dairy products and eggs contain the least purines. Strictly abstain from drinking various kinds of alcohol and drink more than 2000ml of water daily. (2) Avoid causative factors: avoid overeating and alcoholism, cold and damp, excessive fatigue and mental tension, wear comfortable shoes, prevent joint injuries, and use drugs that affect uric acid excretion, such as certain diuretics and small doses of aspirin, etc. with caution. (3) Prevention and control of concomitant diseases: treat concomitant hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, etc. at the same time. 2. Acute attack period: rest in bed, elevate the affected limbs and avoid weight-bearing. Temporarily suspend the use of uric acid-lowering drugs to avoid fluctuations in blood uric acid, prolonging the attack or causing metastatic gout. The drugs that can be used are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids and colchicine. 3. Intermittent and chronic phase: aimed at controlling blood uric acid at normal level. Uric acid-lowering drugs are divided into two categories, one is pro-uric acid excretory drugs, such as propofol, benzbromarone, and the other is inhibiting uric acid production drugs, such as allopurinol, febuxostat. In order to prevent acute arthritis induced by rapid decrease of blood uric acid after medication, it should be started from small dose, gradually increased to therapeutic amount, and changed to maintenance amount after it takes effect, so that the blood uric acid is maintained below 327µmol/l (5.5mg/dl) for a long time. In addition to prevent acute attacks, colchicine or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can also be taken prophylactically at the same time as starting uric acid-lowering drugs. Prognosis: If early diagnosis is made and medical advice is followed, modern treatment methods can enable most patients to lead a normal life. With treatment, gout stones can be dissolved, joint function can be improved, and renal dysfunction can be improved in late stage patients. gout patients who develop first symptoms before the age of 30 are in serious condition. About 20% of gout patients develop uric acid or calcium oxalate stones. Complications include urinary tract obstruction and infection with secondary renal tubular interstitial lesions. Combined hypertension, diabetes mellitus or other renal disease can further lead to impaired urate excretion if left untreated, which not only accelerates the pathological process within the joint, but also further deteriorates renal function to a life-threatening degree.