title: Clinical presentation and disease associations of gout: a hospital-based study of 100 patients in Singapore.
abstract: The aim of this retrospective study was to characterise the clinical presentation and disease associations of Oriental patients with gout seen in our hospital over a six-month period. One hundred patients comprising of 77 males and 23 females [89% Chinese, 7% Malays, 2% Indians and 2% others; mean age was 50.9 years (range 18 to 82 years), mean age at onset of disease was 43.7 years (range 16 to 78 years)] were studied. The disease was familial in 18% and 44% of patients had a history of alcohol ingestion. Co-morbid conditions included hypertension (36%), hyperlipidaemia (25%), renal failure (17%), ischaemic heart disease (13%), diabetes mellitus (4%), systemic lupus erythematosus (3%), psoriasis (2%) and ankylosing spondylitis (1%). The majority of patients (68%) had at least one associated disease. At the onset of disease, the joints commonly involved were the ankles (39%) and knees (27%) whilst the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint was affected in only 26% of cases. Polyarticular onset was uncommon (n = 6). The precipitating factors reported by the patients included food (n = 23), alcohol (n = 12), drugs (n = 4), trauma (n = 3) and surgery (n = 2). Eleven patients had a history of renal calculi and 15% had tophaceous gout. Majority of patients (71%) had been treated with urate-lowering drugs (allopurinol). We concluded that gout in Singapore predominantly affects middle-aged men who often have an accompanying illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seah
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006073:Gout / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008296:Malaysia / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006074:Gout Suppressants