Gouty arthritis and uric acid metabolism.

Important observations have continued to expand our understanding of gout. The increased risk of gout in black Americans has been linked more closely with the development of hypertension, and an increasing prevalence in African blacks and in England may have a similar association, possibly through the use of diuretics. The association of gout and insulin resistance appears to be related to fat distribution, and the link with hyperlipidemia may be related to genetic factors. The relationship between gout and renal disease and the frequency of gout in patients with renal failure continue to be areas of controversy. The mechanism and a possible therapeutic approach to the hyperuricemia associated with cyclosporine therapy are better understood. The potential for antibodies against urate crystals to potentiate further crystallization may explain some of the uncertainties about gouty attacks. Unusual manifestations of gout, including more cases of spinal involvement, were reported. The role of formalin in dissolving urate crystals in pathologic specimens was further clarified, and the use of atomic force microscopy to detect crystals was reported. Corticosteroids are increasingly accepted in treating acute gout, and the role of colchicine in acute and intercritical gout has come under increasing scrutiny. Urate-lowering drugs appear to be cost effective in patients with more than one or two attacks per year.