Gout

Gout

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

Your doctor will begin by recording your complete medical history and asking you to describe your symptoms. Then you will undergo a physical examination during which your doctor will check for physical signs of the condition.

The best way to diagnose gout is to remove fluid from an affected joint and examine it under a microscope for uric acid crystals. However, this may not always be necessary.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007