Gout: how presentation, diagnosis, and treatment differ in the elderly.

Although frequently a typical acute monoarticular arthritis, gout in the elderly is often a chronic, polyarticular disease, sometimes with minimal inflammation. It can be associated with osteoarthritis and diuretic therapy, can follow minor trauma or medical illness, and is seen commonly in women. The management of gout in the elderly requires special consideration of the expected course of the disease and of the risks of medical therapy.