title: Intraarticular noninflammatory free urate suspension (urate milk) in 3 patients with painful joints.
abstract: We describe 3 patients with painful intraarticular knee effusions composed of a viscous milky white suspension of monosodium urate crystals, in the absence of any cellular component. Two patients presented with acute bilateral knee pain. One patient presented with unilateral knee pain of gradual onset. All 3 patients had a history of ethanol abuse. Two patients had a history of gout. Two patients had chronic renal insufficiency, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. One patient had alcoholic cirrhosis. Two patients' pain responded to colchicine. One patient's discomfort was relieved only by repeated arthrocentesis. We conclude that intraarticular free urate can cause painful joints in the absence of an apparent inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, City University of New York, New York.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Horowitz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abbey
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sirota
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spiera
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D003460:Crystallization; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006073:Gout / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000378:metabolism*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology; D010146:Pain / Q000378:metabolism*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000150:complications; D013535:Suspensions; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013535:Suspensions; D014527:Uric Acid