Gout Differential Diagnosis

Differential Diagnosis

The following conditions should be ruled out in the diagnosis of gout:

• Septic arthritis. It is important to rule out septic arthritis because if not diagnosed early, this can lead to rapid joint destruction associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Even if gout has already been confirmed with the presence of monosodium urate crystals, one should still check for septic arthritis because these inflammatory conditions may co-exist
• Acute calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis
• Acute rheumatic fever
• Bursitis
• Palindromic rheumatism
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Pseudogout
• Reactive arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Trauma