Disease Etiology
Gout is a type of arthritis that causes acute pain, inflammation and swelling in the joints, most commonly the metatarsal-phalangeal joint (the joint between the ball of the foot and the big toe) (1-4). Typically, three aspects are involved with the development of gout: hyperuricemia over a long period, monosodium urate (MSU) crystal configuration, and the interaction between MSU and the inflammatory system (4).

With gout, excessive serum uric acid can lead to the