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Tests and diagnosis

By Mayo Clinic staff

Pseudogout signs and symptoms mimic those of gout, so your doctor may first suspect gout. Tests can rule out gout as a cause of your signs and symptoms.

To determine whether pseudogout is causing your pain, your doctor may have you undergo these tests:

  • Analysis of joint fluid. Your doctor inserts a needle into your joint to extract a small sample of joint fluid for analysis with a microscope. He or she looks for CPPD crystals in the fluid.
  • X-rays. X-rays of your knee can reveal other conditions caused by CPPD crystals, such as crystal deposits in the joint cartilage (chondrocalcinosis) and joint damage.

Your doctor may want to rule out other causes of joint pain and inflammation, such as infection, gout, injury and rheumatoid arthritis.

DS00717

April 3, 2008

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