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ULT Target Relaxation — SCE Rheumatology MCQ

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HardCrystal ArthropathyULT Target RelaxationSCE Rheumatology

A patient with gout has a serum urate of 290 micromol/L during an acute flare but classic monosodium-urate crystals on aspiration. How should the serum result be interpreted?

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Correct answer: B — Serum urate can fall during a flare and does not override crystal identification

Serum urate may be normal or low during acute inflammation, so a single result cannot exclude gout. Polarised microscopy showing negatively birefringent monosodium-urate crystals establishes the diagnosis, while culture is still needed if infection is possible.

Reference: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng219