Gout, with a section on ocular disease in the goutyLlewellyn, Llewellyn J. (Llewellyn Jones)
Science
Gout, with a section on ocular disease in the gouty
Llewellyn, Llewellyn J. (Llewellyn Jones)
Eye -- Diseases; Gout
Recently, through the kindness of my colleague Dr. Waterhouse, Dr. Munro
and I had again an opportunity of examining the blood in a case of this
kind during the _inter-paroxysmal_ period. The subject, a male, had had
repeated attacks at the classic site, with subsequent extension to other
joints. Multiple tophi were present in both ears, and the crystals of
uric acid were demonstrated microscopically.
BLOOD COUNT.
Red corpuscles 7,364,000 = 147 per cent.
Hæmoglobin 74 ”
Coloured index 0·5 ”
Leucocytes 21,400
DIFFERENTIAL COUNT.
Lymphocytes 28·5 per cent. = 6,099 per c. mm.
Large mononuclears 2·5 ” = 535 ”
Polymorphonuclears 64 ” = 13,696 ”
Eosinophiles 3·5 ” = 749 ”
Basophiles 1·5 ” = 321 ”
The blood picture, it will be seen, is one of erythræmia—a marked
leucocytosis, a normal differential percentage count, pronounced
secondary anæmia.
Da Costa also notes, in a case of gout, erythræmia (7,125,000) with a
leucocyte count of 14,000. Ewing, too, records an instance of chronic
gout with huge tophi, seen in an acute exacerbation, in which the blood
gave a leucocyte count of 21,000 with 70 per cent. hæmoglobin. In another
severe instance of subacute type the same observer again met with
leucocytosis (15,000).
In regard to these interesting blood findings, it is to be cordially
hoped that as the somewhat rare opportunities occur they will be taken
full advantage of.
As to the other general clinical features the _nervous_ system, as might
be expected, is often greatly perturbed, and the mental distress and
anxiety in some instances appear to cause even more irritation than the
bodily pain. Febrile movement when present accords with that observed
in _monarticular_ sites, save only in the tendency to _relapses_.
Sweating is not a common feature, as in _acute rheumatism_. Neither does
acute _endocarditis_ occur in gout. On the other hand, as this acute
polyarticular form may recur throughout years, it may in its later stages
be complicated by _nephritis_.
Furthermore, in its differentiation from acute rheumatism the more
advanced age of the sufferer, always over thirty-five and more often
nearer fifty or over, will be of help. The presence of an hereditary
taint, the nature of the occupation and personal habits, and more
pertinently the history of a classical attack in the great toe, may give
a clue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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