Background: Gouty arthritis is one of the most common arthritis in adults in the Philippines. It is more common in men, although also seen in post-menopausal women. Its characterization in the Filipino population will help in earlier recognition of the disease and administration of appropriate management.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics of Filipino female patients with gout.

Methodology: We reviewed the charts of female patients who were diagnosed with gout using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. We collected data on the demographic and disease characteristics of these patients.

Results: In our cohort of 768 patients with gout, 8.82% were females. The mean age of onset was 60.25 years old, and the mean age at the initial consult was 63.68 years old. Only a few patients had a family history of gout and of drinking alcohol. Hypertension was a comorbid condition in 58.21% and there was more than one coexistent illness in 20.89%. The majority presented with a monoarthritis (67.16%). The most commonly involved joints were the ankle (59.7%), knee (41.79%), and the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP, 37.3%). On the first visit at the rheumatology clinic, most patients (47.76%) reported less than three attacks of arthritis per year, and 14.92% had tophi. The mean serum uric acid was 8.53 mg/dL, mean serum creatinine was 1.55mg/L, and the mean eGFR was 42.45 mL/min.

Conclusion: In clinical practice, gouty arthritis in Filipino females should not be confused with other inflammatory arthritides because its presentation is classic in the majority of patients. On consult at the rheumatology clinic, at least 15% of the patients already had complicated disease. Awareness of Filipino physicians of gout in postmenopausal females must be enhanced for proper recognition and management of this disease.

Keywords: gout, females, philippines

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