How Common is Gout?

Discussion Purines are heterocyclic aromatic organic compounds. Common ones are adenine, guanine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, uric acid and caffeine. The most common sources of purines are meat (especially liver, kidney, and brain), certain fish (herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines), and in lower amounts in beans, and certain plants and yeast. Purines are synthesized, used by the body, then they are degraded by a variety of enzymes. They then can be salvaged to resynthesize purines or are eliminated primarily by the kidney. When intake or synthesis outweighs elimination then hyperuricemia can result. Hyperuricemia can occur in patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome, psoriasis, medications (thiazide diuretics), genetic diseases such as Lesch Nyhan disease, and kidney disease including transplantation. Myeloproliferative disease including leukemia, lymphoma and tumor lysis syndrome also have increased risk of hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia can lead to the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the joint and periarticular tissue. Crystal deposition stimulates interleukin-1 release from monocytes that causes an inflammatory response. Painful joints and gout are the result. Overtime gouty trophi may occur that can cause bony erosions. As it can take 20 years or more for this process of hyperuricemia and crystal deposition to occur, gout generally does not occur often in the typical pediatric patient. Therefore gout is not usually considered in the differential diagnosis ...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news