Gout in females: an analysis of 92 patients

Ninety-two females with gout are reported. The preliminary ARA criteria for acute gout classified 60% of the patients. Forty patients were diagnosed by finding tophi or urate crystals in the synovial fluid, 16 patients had the ARA clinical criteria for gout, and a further 36 patients were considered to have good clinical grounds for gouty arthritis. Classification of the patients was difficult. A subacute pauci-/polyarthritis was the presenting feature in 64 (70%) patients and in 49 (77%) there was no history of a preceding recurrent monoarthritis. Seventy-two patients (78%) were on diuretics. Tophi were usually indolent and showed little surrounding inflammation. 87% of the patients had an associated disease.