Post-cardiac transplantation gout: incidence of therapeutic complications.
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical impact of gout treatment following cardiac transplantation.


METHODS
We performed an audit of all cardiac transplant recipients of the Alfred Hospital before August 1998 who lived in Victoria.


RESULTS
We studied 225 patients (81% men), with a mean post-transplant follow-up of 50.8 months (SD 36). Forty-three (19%) had pre-transplant gout, 19 recurring post-transplantation. Twenty-three patients developed gout de novo. Of the 24 patients who received allopurinol, 6 developed pancytopenia and required hospitalization. Fourteen received a change in immunosuppression: in 5 patients following pancytopenia, and in 9 to enable safe use of allopurinol. Thirty-two patients received colchicine; 5 developed neuromyopathy. Impaired renal function, diuretic use, and hypertension were more common in this sub-group. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, used in 16 patients, caused serious complications in 1 patient (life-threatening peptic ulceration and hemorrhage, precipitating dialysis-dependent chronic renal failure).


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiac transplant recipients, when treated for gout, are at high risk of therapeutic complications. Thus, gout treatment significantly affects care, health, and immunosuppression of these patients.
Wluka
A E
AE
Rheumatology Unit, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. anita.wluka@med.monash.edu.au
Ryan
P F
PF
Miller
A M
AM
Richardson
M
M
Bergin
P J
PJ
Page
J L
JL
Esmore
D S
DS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000493:Allopurinol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003078:Colchicine / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006073:Gout / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010198:Pancytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000493:Allopurinol; D003078:Colchicine