Four stages are distinguished in gout according to Talbott. For the sake of completeness, they are listed here, although they are not necessarily a chronological sequence of disease progression, as some patients may find themselves in stage 4 without ever having had a gout attack:
| Stage | Description |
| I | Asymptomatic hyperuricemia (latent stage): (uric acid: > 7 mg/dl) Tissue deposition occurs. This stage may last about five to ten years. |
| II | Acute gout attack-Rapid onset of inflammation (usually affecting only one joint) with painful hyperthermia and swelling |
| III | Intercritical gout or intercritical periods (attack-free period)-asymptomatic interval between two gout attacks that may last six months to two years, longer in some; as hyperuricemia persists, increasing urate deposits may occur. No second attack occurs in about 5-10% of patients. |
| IV | Chronic gout; permanent joint inflammation with gouty tophi (nodular thickening of cartilage tissue within or near affected joints) and progressive joint changes. |
