Incidental Finding of Gout in Patients with Chronic Back Pain

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Gout in individuals suffering from persistent low back pain.

Methodology:  This study was conducted in Benazir Bhutto Medical College Karachi, PakistanFrom June 2019 to July 2020. This was descriptive cross-sectional research. Sixty-five people with persistent low back pain were assessed, ranging from 18 to 75 years. A structured Performa was employed to collect data. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-rays of the lumbosacral spine were utilized to evaluate any abnormalities related to low back pain. The Serum uric levels were measured and reported in a laboratory.

A statistical connection was found concerning age, gender, and associated radiological findings between persistent low back pain and hyperuricemia. The results showed that 16 patients (25 percent) had elevated serum uric acid levels, with no significant gender differences. Compared to other age groups, patients aged 26-60 years had a greater prevalence of Gout. In 13 individuals, there was a strong connection between hyperuricemia and big joint pain in the lower leg (85 percent). Other noteworthy radiological results were lumbar disc prolapse in 12 of 16 patients (73 percent), degenerative disc disease in 54 percent (n=7), and disc space narrowing in 96 percent (n=15) individuals (P0.05).

Conclusion: Our survey reveals that gout exists in 1 out of 4 individuals with low back pain, regardless of gender. There is a varied relationship between vocation and antecedent co-morbidities in individuals suffering from low back pain. Our findings indicate a substantial link between lumbar vertebral joint space constriction and lumbar disc prolapse and hyperuricemia. It raises the issue of whether hyperuricemia exacerbates age-related Spondylolisthesis through mechanisms that have yet to be discovered.