Laboratory studies Serum uric acid This is the most misused test in the diagnosis of gout. T he presence of hyperuricemia in the absence of sympto ms Is no of gout. In addition, as many as %o of patients with symptoms due to gout may have mal serum uric acid levels at the time of their attack 少only D/o of patients with hyperuricemia develop gout. Gout is diagnosed based on the discovery of als in the synovial fluid or soft tissues. o Asymptomatic hyperuricemia should generally not be tr eated. The correlates with risk or developing gout. The -year risk for developing gout is approximately 0. 6% if the level is less than 7. 9 mg/d %o if 8-8.9 mg/dL, and if higher than 14 浙医二院14 浙医二院 Laboratory Studies Serum uric acid This is the most misused test in the diagnosis of gout. T he presence of hyperuricemia in the absence of sympto ms is not diagnostic of gout. In addition, as many as 10 % of patients with symptoms due to gout may have nor mal serum uric acid levels at the time of their attack.--- only 5-20% of patients with hyperuricemia develop gout. Gout is diagnosed based on the discovery of urate cryst als in the synovial fluid or soft tissues. Asymptomatic hyperuricemia should generally not be tr eated. The level of serum uric acid correlates with risk f or developing gout. The 5-year risk for developing gout is approximately 0.6% if the level is less than 7.9 mg/d L, 1% if 8-8.9 mg/dL, and 22% if higher than 9 mg/dL