Musculoskeletal and Skin Pathology for Medical II Students

Lab 1c Tophus of Gout (03000-55070)

The tophus is the pathognomonic soft tissue lesion of gout, and consists of masses of urate crystals surrounded by an inflammatory reaction. The inflammation often contains foreign body giant cells at the edge of a collection of urates. Urate crystals are water soluble and will be dissolved out in standard histologic processing, leaving only needle-shaped empty spaces where the urates had been present. When they are preserved by special processing (alcohol fixation), they are doubly refractile under polarized light

Slides 11 & 12 | Slide 13

Slide 11 A macroscopic picture showing gouty tophi of the helix of the ear.
Slide 12 A low power view showing a septated mass of crystalline material with a surrounding inflammatory reaction containing giant cells.

Digital Legends for Labs/Cases
Lab 1
1a | 1b | 1c | 1d | 1e | 1f | 1g
Gross & Radiographs
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h 
Lab 2
2a | 2b | 2c | 2d | 2e | 2f

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Updated August 28, 2007