Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Medicine and Disease: An Overview
- Part II Changing Concepts of Health and Disease
- Part III Medical Specialties and Disease Prevention
- Part IV Measuring Health
- Part V The History of Human Disease in the World Outside Asia
- Part VI The History of Human Disease in Asia
- Part VII The Geography of Human Disease
- Part VIII Major Human Diseases Past and Present
- VIII.1 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- VIII.2 African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)
- VIII.3 Ainhum
- VIII.4 Alzheimer’s Disease
- VIII.5 Amebic Dysentery
- VIII.6 Anemia
- VIII.7 Anorexia Nervosa
- VIII.8 Anthrax
- VIII.9 Apoplexy and Stroke
- VIII.10 Arboviruses
- VIII.11 Arenaviruses
- VIII.12 Arthritis (Rheumatoid)
- VIII.13 Ascariasis
- VIII.14 Bacillary Dysentery
- VIII.15 Beriberi
- VIII.16 Black Death
- VIII.17 Black and Brown Lung Disease
- VIII.18 Bleeding Disorders
- VIII.19 Botulism
- VIII.20 Brucellosis
- VIII.21 Bubonic Plague
- VIII.22 Carrión’s Disease
- VIII.23 Catarrh
- VIII.24 Cestode Infections
- VIII.25 Chagas’ Disease
- VIII.26 Chlorosis
- VIII.27 Cholera
- VIII.28 Cirrhosis
- VIII.29 Clonorchiasis
- VIII.30 Croup
- VIII.31 Cystic Fibrosis
- VIII.32 Cytomegalovirus Infection
- VIII.33 Dengue
- VIII.34 Diabetes
- VIII.35 Diarrheal Diseases (Acute)
- VIII.36 Diphtheria
- VIII.37 Down Syndrome
- VIII.38 Dracunculiasis
- VIII.39 Dropsy
- VIII.40 Dysentery
- VIII.41 Dyspepsia
- VIII.42 Ebola Virus Disease
- VIII.43 Echinococcosis (Hydatidosis)
- VIII.44 Eclampsia
- VIII.45 Emphysema
- VIII.46 Encephalitis Lethargica
- VIII.47 Enterobiasis
- VIII.48 Epilepsy
- VIII.49 Ergotism
- VIII.50 Erysipelas
- VIII.51 Fascioliasis
- VIII.52 Fasciolopsiasis
- VIII.53 Favism
- VIII.54 Filariasis
- VIII.55 Fungus Infections (Mycoses)
- VIII.56 Fungus Poisoning
- VIII.57 Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)
- VIII.58 Gangrene
- VIII.59 Giardiasis
- VIII.60 Glomerulonephritis (Bright’s Disease)
- VIII.61 Goiter
- VIII.62 Gonorrhea
- VIII.63 Gout
- VIII.64 Herpes Simplex
- VIII.65 Herpesviruses
- VIII.66 Histoplasmosis
- VIII.67 Hookworm Disease
- VIII.68 Huntington’s Disease (Chorea)
- VIII.69 Hypertension
- VIII.70 Infectious Hepatitis
- VIII.71 Infectious Mononucleosis
- VIII.72 Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- VIII.73 Influenza
- VIII.74 Japanese B Encephalitis
- VIII.75 Lactose Intolerance and Malabsorption
- VIII.76 Lassa Fever
- VIII.77 Lead Poisoning
- VIII.78 Legionnaires’ Disease
- VIII.79 Leishmaniasis
- VIII.80 Leprosy
- VIII.81 Leptospirosis
- VIII.82 Leukemia
- VIII.83 Lupus Erythematosus
- VIII.84 Lyme Borreliosis (Lyme Disease)
- VIII.85 Malaria
- VIII.86 Marburg Virus Disease
- VIII.87 Mastoiditis
- VIII.88 Measles
- VIII.89 Meningitis
- VIII.90 Milk Sickness (Tremetol Poisoning)
- VIII.91 Multiple Sclerosis
- VIII.92 Mumps
- VIII.93 Muscular Dystrophy
- VIII.94 Myasthenia Gravis
- VIII.95 Nematode Infections
- VIII.96 Onchocerciasis
- VIII.97 Ophthalmia (Conjunctivitis and Trachoma)
- VIII.98 Osteoarthritis
- VIII.99 Osteoporosis
- VIII.100 Paget’s Disease of Bone
- VIII.101 Paragonimiasis
- VIII.102 Parkinson’s Disease
- VIII.103 Pellagra
- VIII.104 Periodontal Disease (Pyorrhea)
- VIII.105 Pica
- VIII.106 Pinta
- VIII.107 Plague of Athens
- VIII.108 Pneumocystis Pneumonia (Interstitial Plasma Cell Pneumonia, Pneumocystosis)
- VIII.109 Pneumonia
- VIII.110 Poliomyelitis
- VIII.111 Protein-Energy Malnutrition
- VIII.112 Protozoan Infections
- VIII.113 Puerperal Fever
- VIII.114 Q Fever
- VIII.115 Rabies
- VIII.116 Relapsing Fever
- VIII.117 Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease
- VIII.118 Rickets and Osteomalacia
- VIII.119 Rickettsial Diseases
- VIII.120 Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the Spotted Fever Group Diseases
- VIII.121 Rubella
- VIII.122 St. Anthony’s Fire
- VIII.123 Scarlet Fever
- VIII.124 Schistosomiasis
- VIII.125 Scrofula (Scrophula)
- VIII.126 Scurvy
- VIII.127 Sickle-Cell Anemia
- VIII.128 Smallpox
- VIII.129 Streptococcal Diseases
- VIII.130 Strongyloidiasis
- VIII.131 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- VIII.132 Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (Asian)
- VIII.133 Sweating Sickness
- VIII.134 Syphilis
- VIII.135 Syphilis, Nonvenereal
- VIII.136 Tapeworm
- VIII.137 Tay-Sachs Disease
- VIII.138 Tetanus
- VIII.139 Tetanus, Neonatal
- VIII.140 Tetany
- VIII.141 Toxoplasmosis
- VIII.142 Trematode Infections
- VIII.143 Trench Fever
- VIII.144 The Treponematoses
- VIII.145 Trichinosis
- VIII.146 Trichuriasis
- VIII.147 Tuberculosis
- VIII.148 Tularemia
- VIII.149 Typhoid Fever
- VIII.150 Typhomalarial Fever
- VIII.151 Typhus, Epidemic
- VIII.152 Typhus, Murine
- VIII.153 Typhus, Scrub (Tsutsugamushi)
- VIII.154 Urolithiasis (Renal and Urinary Bladder Stone Disease)
- VIII.155 Varicella Zoster
- VIII.156 Whooping Cough
- VIII.157 Yaws
- VIII.158 Yellow Fever
- Indexes
- References
VIII.63 - Gout
from Part VIII - Major Human Diseases Past and Present
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Part I Medicine and Disease: An Overview
- Part II Changing Concepts of Health and Disease
- Part III Medical Specialties and Disease Prevention
- Part IV Measuring Health
- Part V The History of Human Disease in the World Outside Asia
- Part VI The History of Human Disease in Asia
- Part VII The Geography of Human Disease
- Part VIII Major Human Diseases Past and Present
- VIII.1 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- VIII.2 African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)
- VIII.3 Ainhum
- VIII.4 Alzheimer’s Disease
- VIII.5 Amebic Dysentery
- VIII.6 Anemia
- VIII.7 Anorexia Nervosa
- VIII.8 Anthrax
- VIII.9 Apoplexy and Stroke
- VIII.10 Arboviruses
- VIII.11 Arenaviruses
- VIII.12 Arthritis (Rheumatoid)
- VIII.13 Ascariasis
- VIII.14 Bacillary Dysentery
- VIII.15 Beriberi
- VIII.16 Black Death
- VIII.17 Black and Brown Lung Disease
- VIII.18 Bleeding Disorders
- VIII.19 Botulism
- VIII.20 Brucellosis
- VIII.21 Bubonic Plague
- VIII.22 Carrión’s Disease
- VIII.23 Catarrh
- VIII.24 Cestode Infections
- VIII.25 Chagas’ Disease
- VIII.26 Chlorosis
- VIII.27 Cholera
- VIII.28 Cirrhosis
- VIII.29 Clonorchiasis
- VIII.30 Croup
- VIII.31 Cystic Fibrosis
- VIII.32 Cytomegalovirus Infection
- VIII.33 Dengue
- VIII.34 Diabetes
- VIII.35 Diarrheal Diseases (Acute)
- VIII.36 Diphtheria
- VIII.37 Down Syndrome
- VIII.38 Dracunculiasis
- VIII.39 Dropsy
- VIII.40 Dysentery
- VIII.41 Dyspepsia
- VIII.42 Ebola Virus Disease
- VIII.43 Echinococcosis (Hydatidosis)
- VIII.44 Eclampsia
- VIII.45 Emphysema
- VIII.46 Encephalitis Lethargica
- VIII.47 Enterobiasis
- VIII.48 Epilepsy
- VIII.49 Ergotism
- VIII.50 Erysipelas
- VIII.51 Fascioliasis
- VIII.52 Fasciolopsiasis
- VIII.53 Favism
- VIII.54 Filariasis
- VIII.55 Fungus Infections (Mycoses)
- VIII.56 Fungus Poisoning
- VIII.57 Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)
- VIII.58 Gangrene
- VIII.59 Giardiasis
- VIII.60 Glomerulonephritis (Bright’s Disease)
- VIII.61 Goiter
- VIII.62 Gonorrhea
- VIII.63 Gout
- VIII.64 Herpes Simplex
- VIII.65 Herpesviruses
- VIII.66 Histoplasmosis
- VIII.67 Hookworm Disease
- VIII.68 Huntington’s Disease (Chorea)
- VIII.69 Hypertension
- VIII.70 Infectious Hepatitis
- VIII.71 Infectious Mononucleosis
- VIII.72 Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- VIII.73 Influenza
- VIII.74 Japanese B Encephalitis
- VIII.75 Lactose Intolerance and Malabsorption
- VIII.76 Lassa Fever
- VIII.77 Lead Poisoning
- VIII.78 Legionnaires’ Disease
- VIII.79 Leishmaniasis
- VIII.80 Leprosy
- VIII.81 Leptospirosis
- VIII.82 Leukemia
- VIII.83 Lupus Erythematosus
- VIII.84 Lyme Borreliosis (Lyme Disease)
- VIII.85 Malaria
- VIII.86 Marburg Virus Disease
- VIII.87 Mastoiditis
- VIII.88 Measles
- VIII.89 Meningitis
- VIII.90 Milk Sickness (Tremetol Poisoning)
- VIII.91 Multiple Sclerosis
- VIII.92 Mumps
- VIII.93 Muscular Dystrophy
- VIII.94 Myasthenia Gravis
- VIII.95 Nematode Infections
- VIII.96 Onchocerciasis
- VIII.97 Ophthalmia (Conjunctivitis and Trachoma)
- VIII.98 Osteoarthritis
- VIII.99 Osteoporosis
- VIII.100 Paget’s Disease of Bone
- VIII.101 Paragonimiasis
- VIII.102 Parkinson’s Disease
- VIII.103 Pellagra
- VIII.104 Periodontal Disease (Pyorrhea)
- VIII.105 Pica
- VIII.106 Pinta
- VIII.107 Plague of Athens
- VIII.108 Pneumocystis Pneumonia (Interstitial Plasma Cell Pneumonia, Pneumocystosis)
- VIII.109 Pneumonia
- VIII.110 Poliomyelitis
- VIII.111 Protein-Energy Malnutrition
- VIII.112 Protozoan Infections
- VIII.113 Puerperal Fever
- VIII.114 Q Fever
- VIII.115 Rabies
- VIII.116 Relapsing Fever
- VIII.117 Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease
- VIII.118 Rickets and Osteomalacia
- VIII.119 Rickettsial Diseases
- VIII.120 Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the Spotted Fever Group Diseases
- VIII.121 Rubella
- VIII.122 St. Anthony’s Fire
- VIII.123 Scarlet Fever
- VIII.124 Schistosomiasis
- VIII.125 Scrofula (Scrophula)
- VIII.126 Scurvy
- VIII.127 Sickle-Cell Anemia
- VIII.128 Smallpox
- VIII.129 Streptococcal Diseases
- VIII.130 Strongyloidiasis
- VIII.131 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- VIII.132 Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (Asian)
- VIII.133 Sweating Sickness
- VIII.134 Syphilis
- VIII.135 Syphilis, Nonvenereal
- VIII.136 Tapeworm
- VIII.137 Tay-Sachs Disease
- VIII.138 Tetanus
- VIII.139 Tetanus, Neonatal
- VIII.140 Tetany
- VIII.141 Toxoplasmosis
- VIII.142 Trematode Infections
- VIII.143 Trench Fever
- VIII.144 The Treponematoses
- VIII.145 Trichinosis
- VIII.146 Trichuriasis
- VIII.147 Tuberculosis
- VIII.148 Tularemia
- VIII.149 Typhoid Fever
- VIII.150 Typhomalarial Fever
- VIII.151 Typhus, Epidemic
- VIII.152 Typhus, Murine
- VIII.153 Typhus, Scrub (Tsutsugamushi)
- VIII.154 Urolithiasis (Renal and Urinary Bladder Stone Disease)
- VIII.155 Varicella Zoster
- VIII.156 Whooping Cough
- VIII.157 Yaws
- VIII.158 Yellow Fever
- Indexes
- References
Summary
Gout is a chronic, intermittently symptomatic disease. It is manifested primarily by small numbers of acutely painful swollen joints that result from an inflammatory reaction to the precipitation of crystals of monosodium urate.
Etiology
The predisposing metabolic factor for primary gout is an abnormally high or rapidly changing concentration of uric acid in the blood. Hyperuricemia may result from an accelerated synthesis of uric acid, or decreased excretory capacity for uric acid in otherwise normal kidneys as a result of unidentified but probably heritable causes. Hyperuricemia leading to secondary gout occurs particularly (1) in diseases of the blood-forming tissues that increase the availability of precursors of uric acid; (2) in kidney failure, which limits the excretion of uric acid; or (3) as a result of medications that either accelerate the breakdown of purine-rich cells (e.g., antineoplastic drugs) or interfere with the renal excretory mechanism (e.g., some diuretics). Dissolved in the serum, uric acid is harmless. However, because of unidentified local circumstances it may leak from capillaries and crystallize. The crystals of monosodium urate elicit the inflammatory reaction, which is the gouty attack, and the microscopic identification of the crystals in synovial fluid confirms the diagnosis. Why this inflammation occurs predominantly in joints, and why much more commonly in some joints (such as those of the feet or in the knee) than in others (such as the hip or those of the vertebral column) are unexplained characteristics.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge World History of Human Disease , pp. 763 - 772Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1993
References
- 1
- Cited by