Diagnosis and management of gout. Systematic literature reviews of the 3e initiative 2011-2012

The 3e (Evidence, Expertise, and Exchange) Initiative in Rheumatology is a multinational collaborative task force aiming at developing recommendations for rheumatologists? daily clinical practice. This program addresses practical questions that rheumatologists face every day, by combining both systematic literature reviews (SLR) and opinions from international experts. Since 2006, the 3e Initiative has successively taken interest in the management of ankylosing spondylitis1, the use of methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis2, the management of patients with undifferentiated peripheral inflammatory arthritis3, and the management of pain by pharmacotherapy in inflammatory arthritis4. For its fifth project, the 3e Initiative investigated the diagnosis and management of an old, but apparently increasingly prevalent disease, namely gout. Today, it is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in industrialized countries, affecting 1 to 2 of men in