Achievement of the target serum urate level among patients with gout treated with allopurinol or febuxostat in an arthritis clinic in the Philippines.

Objective: Gout is an important cause of disability among Filipinos, despite measures for effective management. This study aims to determine attainment of target serum uric acid level (SUA ≤ 6 mg/dl) among patients with gout given urate-lowering therapy (ULT) over 6-12 months.

Methods: This is a single-center, prospective cohort study conducted in one adult Arthritis Clinic at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital which included 138 patients with gout (1977 ACR criteria), SUA ≥ 6 mg/dl prior to ULT, initiated on ULT (allopurinol or febuxostat), with six months minimum follow-up and with SUA determination post-treatment.

Effectiveness and tolerability of transdermal buprenorphine patches: a multicenter, prospective, open-label study in Asian patients with moderate to severe chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Background: We examined the effectiveness and tolerability of transdermal buprenorphine (TDB) treatment in real-world setting in Asian patients with musculoskeletal pain.

Methods: This was an open-label study conducted in Hong Kong, Korea, and the Philippines between June 2013 and April 2015. Eligible patients fulfilled the following criteria: 18 to 80 years of age; clinical diagnosis of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, low back pain, or joint/muscle pain; chronic non-malignant pain of moderate to severe intensity (Box-Scale-11 [BS-11] pain score ≥ 4), not adequately controlled with non-opioid analgesics and requiring an opioid for adequate analgesia; and no prior history of opioid treatment.

'Golden Kernels within the skin': disseminated cutaneous gout.

Presented in this paper is a case of a young Filipino man presenting with recurrent acute gouty flares leading to chronic tophaceous gout and unusual cutaneous manifestations (miliary gout, panniculitis, ulcerations). Unusual sites within the body (torso, shoulder, forearms, thigh) revealed multiple urate dermal deposition. Self-medication with steroids eventually led to secondary Cushing's syndrome and eventual emergence of metabolic complications.

Clinical profile of Filipino patients with osteoarthritis seen at two arthritis clinics.

Aim: To describe a cohort of Filipinos with primary osteoarthritis (OA).

Method: Charts with diagnosis of OA from two arthritis clinics (Philippine General Hospital and a private clinic) from January 2008 to May 2011, were reviewed for demographics, clinical presentation, risk factors and management. Descriptive statistics were applied.