ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gout is considered to be the most common inflammatory arthritis worldwide. The histopathological arthritis register of the German Society for Orthopedic Rheumatology (DGORh) was founded in 2018. The aim of this register is a systematic collection of histopathological data on joint pathologies. As part of a master's thesis in medicine at the Sigmund Freud Private University (Vienna, Austria) the data on gout cases were retrospectively analyzed. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this analysis was to determine the prevalence of gout, the localizations of gout in the musculoskeletal system and the sensitivity of clinical gout diagnostics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In cooperation with the Medical Treatment Center for Histology, Cytology and Molecular Diagnostics in Trier, Germany (MVZ-HZMD-Trier GmbH; Germany), tissue samples from 190 different orthopedic clinics and practices were analyzed and 7595 datasets were collected and stored in an arthritis register created by the DGORh. All gout cases stored between 1 January 2018 and 20 January 2020 were eligible for retrospective analysis (Nâ¯= 102). RESULTS: The prevalence of gout was calculated at 1.34%. Of 108 histopathologically confirmed urate crystal depositions and gout granulomas, 76 were found in the lower extremities (70.37%), 30 in the upper extremities (27.78%) and 2 in the spinal joints (1.85%). The sensitivity of clinical gout diagnostics could be determined at 73.53%. CONCLUSION: Gout affects different anatomical regions with the first metatarsophalangeal joint being the main localization site. The sensitivity of clinical gout diagnostics was determined at 73.53%. These results emphasize the importance of histopathology in gout diagnostics.
