Hyperuricemia in hematologic malignancies is caused by an insufficient urinary excretion.

In order to elucidate the mechanism of hyperuricemia in hematologic malignancies, we have retrospectively investigated the uric acid metabolism in 418 chemotherapy-naïve patients with hematologic malignancies. Hyperuricemia was present in 116 (27.8%) of these patients on initial hospitalization. Among 65 hyperuricemic patients analyzed uric acid metabolism, six (9.2%) had overproduction type, 52 (80.0%) had underexcretion type, and seven (10.8%) had a mixed type. Fourteen patients (3.3%) developed tumor lysis syndrome in 418 patients.