Tophaceous gout in the elderly: a clinical case review

Gout is the most common cause of arthritis in the elderly. Its incidence among older people has risen worldwide due to an increase in risk factors such as renal diseases, metabolic syndrome, and a diet rich in purines. In older age, tophaceous gout may affect different joints from its classical presentation, due to other concomitant musculoskeletal diseases, but specific data on its epidemiology and clinical aspects in the elderly are limited to a few case reports. The present review focuses on the distinctive aspects of tophaceous gout in the elderly, revisiting all our clinical cases seen from 1990 to December 2011. Our findings indicate that: tophaceous gout can affect several joints in the elderly, including some unusual sites; its incidence is similar in both genders in the elderly even if the latency period between its initial diagnosis and the onset of tophi is higher in men; and vertebral localizations are rising and often solitary. The components of metabolic syndrome are the most common medical conditions associated with tophaceous gout. In conclusion, tophaceous gout in the elderly may be a growing medical problem and cause of disability in years, partly because of the new sites involved.