Patient characteristics diagnostic yield study
| Patients with clinical suspicion for gout (n=30) | |
|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), years | 64.7 (12.9) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 24 (80) |
| Female | 6 (20) |
| Symptomatic joint area | |
| Toe | 4 (13) |
| Foot | 8 (27) |
| Ankle | 4 (13) |
| Knee | 3 (10) |
| Finger | 2 (7) |
| Wrist | 8 (27) |
| Elbow | 1 (3) |
| Symptom duration | |
| ≤1 month | 7 (23) |
| >1 month, <3 months | 9 (30) |
| ≥3 months | 14 (47) |
| Factors associated with an increased risk of gout | |
| Previous episode of podagra | 12 (40) |
| Serum uric acid increased* (n=29) | 19 (63) |
| Asymmetric swelling | 22 (73) |
| Erythema | 15 (50) |
| Subcortical cyst | 6 (20) |
| Paroxysmal onset of complaints | 14 (47) |
| Joint aspiration negative for MSU crystals | 22 (73) |
| Joint aspiration not performed | 8 (27) |
| Reasons for not performing joint aspirations (n=8) | |
| Patient declined | 1 (3) |
| Possible cellulitis | 2 (7) |
| No effusion | 5 (17) |
Except where stated otherwise, values are the number (%) of patients.
*Male >7 mg/dL, female >6 mg/dL.
MSU, monosodium urate.