BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Gout of the spine is very rare. Forty-one cases of gout affecting the spine have been reported. PURPOSE: To present a patient with tophaceous gout of the lumbar spine mimicking pyogenic discitis. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: The medical record, including operative notes, progress notes, discharge summary, clinical notes, radiological study, and pathological studies was reviewed. RESULTS: The patient had acute low back pain and radiculopathy with high spiking fever. Therefore, pyogenic discitis was suspected. However, histological diagnosis revealed tophaceous gout. CONCLUSIONS: Tophaceous gout of the spine is very rare. However, when a patient presents with acute back pain and fever, spinal gout should be considered, particularly in a patient with a previous history of hyperuricemia or gout.
BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Gout of the spine is very rare. Forty-one cases of gout affecting the spine have been reported. PURPOSE: To present a patient with tophaceous gout of the lumbar spine mimicking pyogenic discitis. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: The medical record, including operative notes, progress notes, discharge summary, clinical notes, radiological study, and pathological studies was reviewed. RESULTS: The patient had acute low back pain and radiculopathy with high spiking fever. Therefore, pyogenic discitis was suspected. However, histological diagnosis revealed tophaceous gout. CONCLUSIONS:Tophaceous gout of the spine is very rare. However, when a patient presents with acute back pain and fever, spinal gout should be considered, particularly in a patient with a previous history of hyperuricemia or gout.
Authors: Justo Serrano Vicente; Alejandro Lorente Gómez; Rafael Lorente Moreno; Jose Rafael Infante Torre; Lucía García Bernardo; Juan Ignacio Rayo Madrid Journal: Indian J Nucl Med Date: 2018 Apr-Jun