GoutPal Interactive

This can often be a tricky part of gout diagnosis.

Uric acid levels fluctuate widely, so at best you can only rely on an average of a few tests taken over time.

Regular testing in this way is very important once you know you have gout, but it is not a reliable diagnosis method.

The reason is that, during a gout attack, some of the uric acid has formed crystals and moved from your blood to your joints, or other tissues. This often results in a fall in uric acid in the blood ( serum urate).

When uric acid level is borderline, this can often lead to prolonged inflammation as uric acid crystals form then redissolve. I've tried to explain this complex process in my explanation of how uric acid causes pain.

The only certain way is arthrocentesis. This involves drawing a small amount of fluid from the joint and analyzing it under polarizing microscope. Other tests are usually done at the same time to rule out other conditions. Though this procedure sounds nasty, it's really quite painless.

I think it is vital, wherever there is any doubt about the cause of swollen joints, to get this test done as soon as possible.