title: Fine needle aspiration of tophi in asymptomatic gout--a case report.
abstract: Gout, a chronic hyperuricemic crystal induced arthropathy, may produce soft tissue masses (tophi). Tophi may be found in synovial membranes, periarticular ligaments, tendons, soft tissues as well as internal organs. We present a case in which diagnosis of gout was made by fine needle aspiration of tophus. The patient had a painless nodule over right ankle which was progressively increasing in size. He gave a past history of painful arthropathy, but serum uric acid levels were within normal limits. At this juncture, FNAC of the ankle tophus was performed which revealed aggregated and innumerable dissociated needle-shaped negatively birefringent crystals of monosodium urate (MSU) on polarization microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital. csydr@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Kusum
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Rashmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arulselvi
mesh_terms: D000842:Ankle; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D001718:Birefringence; D003460:Crystallization; D006073:Gout / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid