| Pseudogout is a not so well known disease which | | | | deposits is found in a particular joint. |
| shows the similar symptoms or effects as gout. Just | | | | While gout can be diagnosed by observing the |
| like gout, it is also a form of arthritis that attacks | | | | symptoms of the affected joints and confirmed with |
| suddenly and gives a painful swelling inflammation in | | | | the uric acid level in the blood test report (although |
| one or more of your joints. | | | | there some cases where gout attacks people with |
| Gout is the result of too much urid acid in the body | | | | healthy uric acid level). |
| that causes crystallization that forms a type of fine | | | | Since there is not direct correlation between |
| crystals which is scientifically known as monosodium | | | | pseudogout with any of the elements in the blood |
| urate. On the other hand pseudogout is caused by | | | | test, the most accurate water to diagnose whether |
| the deposition of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in | | | | a patient is having CPPD is through X-ray. This is |
| the synovial fluid of joints. Pseudogout is often | | | | because pseudogout is a type of calcifications known |
| referred to as Calcium Pyprophosphate Deposition | | | | as chondocalcinosis and calcium compound deposit is |
| Disease, CPPD. | | | | visible on the X-ray films. |
| Thus, what differentiates between gout and CPPD is | | | | Another way to differentiate gout from pseudogout |
| the type of crystal deposits. Since number of gout | | | | in the lab is through examination of the synovial fluid |
| cases is many times greater than the cases of CPPD | | | | from the joint. Under a special powerful microscope |
| which makes gout a more popular and this is why | | | | called polarizing microscope, the calcium |
| CPPD is known as pseudogout which literally means | | | | pyrophosphate crystals can be identified because |
| "false gout". | | | | both types of crystals have very different chemical |
| Pseudogout usually occurs in individuals of age 50 and | | | | structure. |
| above. One interesting fact is, pseudogout tend to | | | | Treatments for pseudogout are same as the |
| attack women more frequently while in the case of | | | | treatments for gout. This is because both cases |
| gout, it is men that dominate more 90 percent of | | | | have the same immune reactions that cause |
| the cases. | | | | inflammation and pain regardless of what type of |
| Reports show that pseudogout can occasionally | | | | crystal that triggers it. Thus, colchicines and NSAIDs |
| coexist with gout. This means that both of those | | | | (ibuprofen) are applicable to pseudogout patients. The |
| types of crystal can be found in the same joint fluid | | | | only exception is allopurinol which controls the uric |
| at times. Researchers have also noted that the | | | | acid level in the blood, it will be useless in the case of |
| cartilage is more calcified when both forms of | | | | CPPD. |