Identification of urate crystals in gouty individuals

In paleopathology cases of gout have traditionally been identified using the character of erosive bony lesions, but in clinical medicine identification of monosodium urate crystals in joint fluid plays a central role in diagnosis. Work undertaken on three skeletal individuals who had been buried, demonstrates that crystals can be identified using polarising microscopy. The crystals were identified as monosodium urate. Results from this study …