Hyperuricemia in congenital heart disease
J. C. Dearth, R. B. Tompkins, E. R. Giuliani and R. H. Feldt
Gout is rarely noted as a clinical problem in secondary polycythemia-- even
if profound polycythemia exists, as in cyanotic congenital heart disease. A
retrospective study of 81 patients with congenital heart disease was done
to assess the incidence of hyperuricemia. Twenty of 46 patients with
cyanotic congenital heart disease had serum levels of uric acid greater
than 8 mg/dl. Thirteen of 16 (81%) cyanotic male patients more than 15
years old had serum levels greater than 8 mg/dl. For cyanotic patients,
serum levels of uric acid were related directly to the degree of
polycythemia (r = .44; P less than .02). Impaired renal function or drug
therapy did not seem to account for the hyperuricemia. Because levels of
uric acid greater than 10 mg/dl probably are nephropathic, many of these
patients may be incurring subclinical uric acid nephropathy.
