Читать книгу Arthritis For Dummies - Barry Fox - Страница 91

Because pseudogout can masquerade as gout, rheumatoid arthritis, or another ailment, diagnosis is usually made by inspecting fluid taken from the affected joint. If you have pseudogout, your fluid will contain calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals. (These crystals can also be picked up on X-rays.)

Unfortunately, there’s no way to cure the disease completely and no method for removing the offending crystals from the joints. Instead, doctors will try to relieve the symptoms, typically by prescribing NSAIDs or the gout drug, colchicine, to reduce the pain and inflammation. In difficult cases, steroids such as prednisone may be needed to get the inflammation under control. Your doctor may also “tap” the joint and draw out the excess fluid to relieve the pain. Any of these treatments can bring relief during attacks but they can’t prevent joint damage. Unlike gout, there is no curative long-term treatment for pseudogout. But, fortunately, most sufferers will do well if their pain and inflammation are kept under control by medication.