chronic gout
Last reviewed 01/2018
Chronic gout:
- often a polyarticular gout
- tophi may form around joints and often also in the pinna of the ear and with time may ulcerate and discharge
- may cause joint stiffness and deformity as a result of joint erosion
- may cause renal damage due to deposition of urate crystals in the renal parenchyma
- urate urolithiasis occurs in 10%; rarely chronic urate nephropathy with renal failure may develop
N.B. olecranon tophi may be confused for rheumatoid nodules.