One person in four in the industrialized countries suffersfrom hyperuricemia and is therefore at risk of developinggouty arthritis, nephrolithiasis, or any of the otherconsequences of urate deposition.At present, far too little is known about urate depositionand the mechanisms by which it occurs, as well as about itsclinical consequences, which include formation of toph; overthe helix of the ear or in bones close to joints that havenever exhibited an attack, development of bursitis, chronictendovaginitis leading to carpal tunnel syndrome, and goutyparaplegia. Information on these matters is needed toestimate the risks of hyperuricemia and to determine whentherapeutic intervention is indicated. The contributions anddiscussions in this book, resulting from an internationalsymposium held in December 1990 in the MedizinischePoliklinik in Munich, provide an up-to-date source ofcurrent knowledge about hyperuricemia in man and itsclinical consequences.