A rare cause of back pain and radiculopathy – spinal tophi: a case report

Wan, S. A. and Teh, C. L. and Ahmad Tirmizi, Jobli and Cheong, Y. K. and Chin, W. V. and Tan, Boon Beng (2019) A rare cause of back pain and radiculopathy – spinal tophi: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports, 13:8. pp. 1-4. ISSN 1752-1947

[img] PDF
chin.pdf

Download (3MB)
Official URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC63258...

Abstract

Background: Gout is a monosodium urate deposition disease which is prevalent worldwide. The usual manifestations are crystal arthropathy and tophi deposition in the soft tissues. Spinal tophi may also occur and are rarely reported, resulting in various clinical manifestations such as back pain, spinal cord compression, radiculopathy, and even mimicking epidural abscess and spondylodiscitis. Case presentation: We report a case of a 42-year-old Chinese man with underlying gout who presented with back pain and radiculopathy. The diagnosis of spinal tophi was unsuspected and he was initially treated for epidural abscess and spondylodiscitis. He underwent a laminectomy and posterolateral fusion during which tophus material was discovered. He recovered and medications for gout were started. Conclusion: Spinal tophi are rare. The diagnosis is difficult and spinal tophi may be mistaken for epidural abscess, spondylodiscitis, or neoplasm.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Spinal tophi, Axial gout, Gout, unimas, university, universiti, Borneo, Malaysia, Sarawak, Kuching, Samarahan, ipta, education, , research, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions: Academic Faculties, Institutes and Centres > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Faculties, Institutes, Centres > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Depositing User: Gani
Date Deposited: 19 Feb 2019 02:20
Last Modified: 23 Mar 2023 08:03
URI: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/23499

Actions (For repository members only: login required)

View Item View Item