Joint fluid analysis must be performed as part of the diagnostic workup for acute arthritis, most notably to rule out septic arthritis and to allow the identification of crystal-induced arthritis (gout or calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease), which is one of the most common causes. However, the
Gout is a common crystal-induced arthritis, in which monosodium urate (MSU) crystals precipitate within joints and soft tissues and elicit an inflammatory response. The causes of elevated serum urate and the inflammatory pathways activated by MSU crystals have been well studied, but less is known