Ulcerated Tophaceous Gout

Gout is a disease that occurs in response to the presence of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals typically within joints. Patients with gout may develop a chronic deposition of monosodium urate crystals within or around joints, cartilage, tendons, peri-articular, and subcutaneous tissue. This condition is termed “tophaceous gout.” Ulceration of the skin by tophi is very uncommon. Literature regarding the clinical course and the management of ulcerated tophi is limited and, therefore, treatment options are not well established. We hereby present a case of a 46-year-old male who presented to our facility with poorly controlled polyarticular tophaceous gout complicated by ulcerated tophi. Our hope is to contribute to the limited knowledge of this rare disease process and to contribute toward formulating the best management approach.