Difference Between Gout and Pseudo Gout

Gout and Pseudo Gout are two different types of diseases but the symptoms of the two diseases are almost the same. However, both are the two most common types of crystal-induced arthropathies. They both are the diseases that cause the inflammation and are caused by the formation of crystals in the joint areas. But gout is caused by the monosodium urate monohydrate crystals and Pseudo gout is caused by the calcium pyrophosphate crystals.

So, you can see the cause of the gout and the pseudo gout is different. A brief discussion may throw some lights on the two diseases. As earlier said the main cause of the gout is the accumulation of the uric acid in the body. In normal condition the uric acid which is the byproduct of the purines is cleared off from the body through the urine. But if there is high level of uric acid presence in the blood the kidneys cannot process them to get the body rid of the extra uric acid. The uric acid then starts to form the uric acid crystals that being to deposit in the joints and muscle tendons and in the surrounding tissues. This leads to the attack of gout which is manifested in the acute pain, skin tenderness, red and hot skin and sometimes in fissures with white chalky discharge. So, the high purine foods and the alcohol or the beer are the foods that worsen the uric acid level in the human body.

Pseudo gout, on the other hand is called as the calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease. It is a medical condition where the problem is caused by the deposits of the calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals in the cartilage and then in the fluid of the joint areas. This leads to the intermittent attack of the pain and inflammation just like the gout attack.

The reason for which the calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals start to be deposited in the joints fluid and in the cartilage is yet to be known. It may cause by different reasons. The abnormally high calcium level in the blood can cause the problem. This may happen due to the high level of parathyroid hormone in the body. An abnormally high iron level in the tissues can also be responsible for the problem. Hypomagnesemia or very low level of magnesium present in the blood can also lead to the situation. The problem of the pseudo gout may be hereditary too.

Symptoms of the pseudo gout are somewhat similar to the gout. But they are highly similar to the symptoms of the rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis too. Chronic acute pains, inflammation especially in the knees, wrists and in other large joints are the common symptoms of the pseudo gout. The attack of the pseudo gout can cause fever. Unlike in gout, the patients of pseudo gout may not develop hard lumps of uric acid crystals.

However, the treatment of the gout and the pseudo gout are almost the same. The healthy lifestyle, proper medication, the same types of food diets are advised for both the diseases.