Elderly-onset gout: a review

Elderly-onset gout (EOG), defined as a disease with onset at age 65 years or over, shows relevant epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic differences from the typical middle-age form. The main differences are the more frequent subacute/chronic polyarticular onset with hand involvement, the unusual localization of tophi on ostheoarthritis (OA) nodes, the increased female/male ratio and the frequent association with drugs that decrease renal urate excretion (diuretics and low-dose aspirin) and/or with primitive renal impairment. EOG has recently been confirmed as the most common inflammatory arthropathy in older people, with important demographic implications and substantial impact on daily clinical practice. Despite the high prevalence, gout, in the elderly, often remains misdiagnosed or diagnosed late in its clinical course. Even when correctly recognized, its treatment is often difficult or unsatisfactory.