Fine needle aspiration of tophi in asymptomatic gout--a case report.
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.
Rao
Seema
S
Department of Pathology, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital. csydr@rediffmail.com
Gupta
Kusum
K
Arora
Rashmi
R
Arulselvi
S
S
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
D014527:Uric Acid