Shoulder gouty arthritis with tophus: a case report and literature review

Gout is a common metabolic disease. Gouty arthritis is associated with the deposition of urate crystals in the synovial fluid or para-articular soft tissues, which often affects the hands, feet, wrists, ankle and knees joints. However, the shoulder joint is unusual involved. In the present study, a 49-year-old male patient complained of right shoulder pain for 9 months and aggravating with limited range of motion for 2 weeks. Physical examination showed that the external rotation was 10° and hand back was S5 of the right shoulder. The MRI showed shoulder joint effusion and intra-articular loose bodies. The patient was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of "loose bodies of the right shoulder with synovial chondromatosis possibly". Arthroscopic examination revealed that a lots of urate crystals were deposited on synovium, cartilage and rotator cuff. Loose bodies removal and joint debridement were performed. Histopathologic examination of the specimen demonstrated synovitis hyperplasia with urate crystals deposition. Shoulder gouty arthritis characterized by pain and limited movement. The imaging of tophi depends on the calcium-containing deposits. Tophus with calcium deposits can be found on X-ray and CT. MRI can not only evaluate the tophus but also the evaluate the other intra-articular pathologies. Due to no typical manifestations and specific images of shoulder gouty arthritis, pathological diagnosis is the "gold standard". Shoulder arthroscopy provide a minimal invasive technique in diagnosing and treating of the shoulder disease. Undoubtedly, it could be a reliable diagnosis and treatment method for shoulder gouty arthritis. Key words: Arthritis, gouty; Shoulder joint; Arthroscopy