Pseudogout

ARTICLE SECTIONS

Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors When to seek medical advice

Tests and diagnosis Complications Treatments and drugs Prevention

Definition

Pseudogout is a form of arthritis characterized by sudden, painful swelling in one or more of your joints. These episodes can last for days or weeks. Pseudogout typically occurs in older adults and most commonly affects your knee.

Pseudogout is named for its similarity to gout. Like gout, pseudogout causes sudden, severe pain in a joint, triggered by crystals in the joint lining. But unlike gout, which usually affects your big toe joint, pseudogout usually affects the large joints of your extremities. And pseudogout is caused by a different type of crystal.

It isn't clear why crystals form in your joints and cause pseudogout. Although you can't get rid of the crystals, there are treatments to help you relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation of pseudogout.

NEXT:

Symptoms