What is pseudogout?

Symptoms of pseudogout

The joints most affected by pseudogout are the knees, followed by the wrists. The joints of the hands and the joint at the base of the big toe can also become inflamed. If the big toe is inflamed, it can be mistaken for gout because this is a key characteristic of the disease.

Pseudogout causes inflammation of varying severity. These severity levels are divided into three basic categories:

- Acute (short-term) arthritis flare-up in a single joint.

- Chronic (long-term) inflammation flares up in multiple joints.

- Rapid progressive degeneration of cartilage in affected joints.

Joint pain, swelling, redness, tenderness, and warmth are common during pseudogout flare-ups. Fever may also occur during these episodes.

Chronic pseudogout causes inflammation in multiple joints simultaneously. This type of inflammation is less severe but more widespread. If chronic pseudogout affects multiple joints, it can be mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is an autoimmune arthritis that causes inflammation of the synovial membrane of the joint, leading to severe joint destruction.

With chronic pseudogout, symptoms may include:

- Joint pain and swelling

- Joint stiffness

- Reduced joint function

- Morning stiffness

- Tired

Rapidly progressing pseudogout can lead to joint damage, often seen in people with severe osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a degenerative disease associated with age and joint wear and tear. Severe OA results in serious joint damage, pain, and reduced range of motion.

What is pseudogout? Graphic: Dinh Dinh

Pseudogout versus gout

Although pseudogout and gout can cause similar symptoms, they are different conditions, with characteristics including:

- Gout results from high levels of uric acid in the blood, while pseudogout results from the formation and accumulation of crystalline calcium pyrophosphate in the joints and surrounding tissues.

- Pseudogout typically affects multiple joints, with the knees and wrists being the most commonly affected. Pseudogout will affect one joint at a time, most often the big toe.

- Pseudogout flare-ups can occur at any time, whereas gout flare-ups typically begin in the middle of the night.

- Pain associated with pseudogout can be much more severe and prolonged than pain from a gout flare-up.

- Gout flare-ups often have triggers such as diet, stress, and medications, while pseudogout has no clear trigger.

Source: https://laodong.vn/suc-khoe/benh-gia-gut-la-gi-1394953.ldo