Cubital tunnel syndrome secondary to gouty tophi: A case report.

Gout is a chronic rheumatic disease resulting from accumulation of monosodium urate crystals in tissues. The most important risk factor for the disease is hyperuricaemia. Precipitation of uric acid in the joint in the form of monosodium urate crystals is the main factor responsible for triggering attacks of arthritis. Tophi occur as a result of urate crystals that precipitate into joints and surrounding tissues. Tophi can erode the bone where they are located and cause compression in soft tissue due to a mass effect. The following case report describes a case of cubital tunnel syndrome developed in association with tophaceous compression and resolved with surgical decompression in a patient with chronic gouty arthritis.