Gout.

Diagnosis and evaluation

Diagnosis

To diagnose gout, your doctor will examine you and ask you to describe your symptoms. Your doctor may take blood tests to measure the amount of uric acid in your blood. Remember: A high level of uric acid in your blood doesn't necessarily mean you have gout, nor does a normal level mean you don't have gout.

Your doctor may check for other types of arthritis, such as CPPD deposition disease and infectious arthritis. These conditions resemble gout but are not caused by uric acid crystals. To determine which type of arthritis you might have, your doctor may have to remove fluid from an affected joint and examine it for crystals.

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