Coexistent gout and rheumatoid arthritis. Case report and literature review.

A 73-year-old woman with Felty's syndrome and arthritis mutilans of long duration presented with tophaceous gout. The 7 previously reported cases of coexistent gout and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are critically reviewed. Possible explanations for the rare coexistence of RA and gout are discussed: if uric acid is an inhibitor of the immune response, then hyperuricemia and gout could protect against development of RA. Conversely, crystalline protein binding may be a critical factor in the pathogenesis of gout, and the presence of abnormal proteins in RA could protect against gout.