Abstract
To date, there has been no epidemiological study of gout in Japanese children and adolescents. We conducted the first nationwide investigation on the prevalence and actual characteristics of gout in childhood and adolescence. A total of 512 hospitals with a pediatric department were enrolled. From the primary questionnaire, the number of both pediatric in- and out-patients, and the number of patients with gout in children and adolescents between 2008 and 2012 were obtained. When patients with gout were reported, their characteristics, including : age, gender, height, weight, previous and family histories, serum uric acid levels at gouty attack, the presence of underlying diseases, and treatment, were collected from the secondary questionnaire. There were 7 cases of gout, consisting of 6 boys and 1 girl. At gouty attack, the median age was 13.8 years (range: 12.7-18.3), and median serum uric acid level was 10.1mg/dL (range: 8.5-11.4). Six patients had underlying diseases such as Down's syndrome, renal hypoplasia, type 2 diabetes, and atrial septal defect. The remaining one patient was severely obese, with a high blood pressure and fatty liver. The present study clarified that the actual prevalence of gout in children and adolescents is extremely low, and that most patients have underlying diseases. When a pediatric patient with any underlying disease has high serum uric acid levels, it is necessary to pay attention to the possibility of gouty attack.
