Some unusual features of gouty arthritis in females

Abstract

Gouty arthritis in females is relatively infrequent, although the sex ratio may be somewhat altered in different races. A positive family history is relatively prevalent among females whose onset of gout is premenopausal. In those patients with a postmenopausal onset, the incidence of diuretic-associated gout is high. The bimodal distribution of serum urate might be related to some variance of genetic transmission in female gout. Hypertension and coronary heart disease are common coexisting conditions, as is true of gouty arthritis in males. Chronic urinary tract infection dating from previous pregnancies is a frequent complication. The relative prevalence of proteinuria and diminished renal function leads to increased hyperuricemia, with a tendency to a low urinary uric acid output. This explains in part the higher incidence of extensive tophaceous deposition but lower incidence of renal calculi. Diuretics are associated with a higher urine pH, likewise, they reduce the urinary uric acid excretion. This also may contribute to the lower incidence of renal calculi. There may be some statistical support for the low fertility rate among the gouty females. Only two females became pregnant after the onset of gouty arthritis. All other pregnancies occurred before the onset of arthritis. Even then, abnormal pregnancies were relatively frequent. Some hormonal malfunction among the gouty females cannot be discounted. Both renal calculi and tophi are frequent in female gout associated with blood dyscrasias. They may manifest early, preceding the first attack of acute gouty arthritis. In both the male and female secondary gout, the primary underlying disease governs the uric acid metabolism and the clinical symptomatology of gout. The predominant role in pathogenesis is the excessive rate of uric acid production, and its disposal is governed by the different stages of the underlying disease and the treatment. Thus, secondary gout in females appears to be somewhat different from primary gout in females, but not different from secondary gout in males.