Crystal deposition diseases

摘要

Crystal arthropathy, particularly gout, continues to be the most common inflammatory arthritis in most parts of the western countries, constituting a significant public health and clinical disease burden. In view of the increasing prevalence of risk factors for gout (for example, obesity) and growing elderly population world-wide, the disease burden is anticipated to continue to grow further. In this issue of Current Opinion in Rheumatology, experts in the field have been invited to review the recent advancements and paradigms in our understanding of crystal arthropathy and its management, and put them into context.