One person in four in the industrialized countries suffersfrom hyperuricemia and is therefore at risk of developinggouty arthritis, nephrolithiasis, or any of the otherconsequences of urate deposition.At present, far too little is known about urate depositionand the mechanisms by which it occurs, as well as about itsclinical consequences, which include formation of toph; overthe helix of the ear or in bones close to joints that havenever exhibited an attack, development of bursitis, chronictendovaginitis leading to carpal tunnel syndrome, and goutyparaplegia. Information on these matters is needed toestimate the risks of hyperuricemia and to determine whentherapeutic intervention is indicated. The contributions anddiscussions in this book, resulting from an internationalsymposium held in December 1990 in the MedizinischePoliklinik in Munich, provide an up-to-date source ofcurrent knowledge about hyperuricemia in man and itsclinical consequences.

1 The Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism - 40 Years of Experience at the Poliklinik of the University of Munich

2 The Enigma of Urate Deposition
Precipitation and Deposition of Monosodium Urate Monohydrate Crystals in Tissues
3 Urate Depositions in Tissues
4 Renal Consequences of Hyperuricemia
Urate and Uric Acid Crystal Reactions Within the Kidney - Clinical and Experimental Studies
5 Urate Deposition and Stone Formation in the Kidney in Renal Hypouricemia
Acute Renal Insufficiency: Which Mechanisms Are Involved?
6 Epidemiology of Hyperuricaemia
7 Pathogenesis of Monosodium Urate Crystal-Induced Inflammation
Crystal-Associated Inflammation: Some Mechanisms of Cellular Activation
8 The Course of Chronic Gout with Special Reference to Extra-articular Manifestations and Joints Not Affected by Acute Attacks
9 The Course of Chondrocalcinosis
10 Round Table Discussion.