12. Cellulitis-like symptoms
Gout and cellulitis are often misdiagnosed. It is probably one of the most important differential diagnoses to make in these cases. Cellulitis and gout can coexist in the same patient, but they are more likely separate entities and not cross-linked with one another. The difference between gout and cellulitis in terms of signs and symptoms is that gout has an acute presentation, and cellulitis is an insidious infection with gradually worsening symptoms. They both feature erythema or redness, temperature changes in the affected area, and pain. In both cases, patients can have a high white blood cell count, and both will develop fever, which is consistent with the diagnosis of infectious diseases.