Re: "gout question"
posted: 01-21-06 5:29pm
gout

question: I think I may have gout but it doesnt hurt
posted: 01-20-06 8:51pm
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i have some reddish bumps on my index and middle finger of my left hand and my index and pinky on my right hand. It is rougher than my other fingers and seem swollen. I did some research on gout, which I presumed it was and all the sites I went to it said it was really painful. I have had this redness and bumps for a while now and it doesnt hurt or stop my movement of the joints.
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reply:

about 90~95 % of uric acid in the blood and body fluids exists as monosodium urate (msu). When msu crystallizes inside joint capsules, it causes painful acute gout (also called gouty arthritis). Sometimes, msu crystals (also called tophi) form under the skin to cause a condition called tophaceous gout. The shapes of tophi can look like pebbles, bumps, nodules, swelling, lumps,... The location of tophi can be on inner or outer sides of fingers, as well as, anywhere in the body. They are usually not painful.

To verify if you have tophaceous gout, you need to draw the fluid from the swollen sites to check for msu crystals. You may also like to test the blood to see if you have high level of the blood uric acid (hyperuricemia). If the results are both positive, you need to lower your blood ua level to about 6 mg/dl to reduce the size of tophi and to avoid further problems. Rheumatologists are the best to treat gout.