Chronic symptoms such as joint deformity and limitation of motion in affected joints may occur if several attacks of gout occur each year. Uric acid deposits called tophi develop in cartilage tissue, tendons, and soft tissues. These tophi usually develop only after a patient has suffered from the disease for many years. Deposits also can occur in the kidneys, leading to chronic renal failure.
Review Date: 6/8/2008 Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief; Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
