Pseudogout in a young patient.

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease is conventionally classified into cases that are hereditary, idiopathic (sporadic) or associated with other disorders. In the idiopathic form, the disease usually occurs in middle-aged or elderly patients. An earlier age of disease onset is observed in the hereditary form and the form associated with other disorders. Therefore, the occurrence of CPPD crystal deposition disease in a young patient merits thorough investigation for an underlying cause such as haemochromatosis, hyperparathyroidism, Wilson's disease, hypophosphatasia or hypomagnesaemia and requires a family study to investigate a possible hereditary cause. We report a case of a young female patient who presented with pseudogout at the age of 24 years; no associated diseases or familial occurrence were found despite a follow-up of more than 12 years.