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What are tophi and where can they form in people with chronic gout?
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joint disease
A 65-year-old man with advanced rheumatoid arthritis.
Tophi are chalky, pasty deposits of monosodium urate crystals that form in the body as a characteristic feature of chronic tophaceous gout.12
In people with chronic gout, these deposits typically accumulate after about 10 years of untreated hyperuricemia. Tophi manifest as large, round nodules and can form in several areas, including:
At this stage of the disease, the presence of tophi is associated with persistent joint pain.2