Nasal gouty tophus: Report a rare case presenting as a nasal hump with nasal obstruction

Abstract

Dorsal nasal gouty tophus are rare occurrences with limited documentation. Here we report a male patient who has a history of poorly controlled gouty arthritis. He had nasal obstruction with an enlarging mass over his left nasal ridge for the past three years. Image studies revealed a nasal bone defect underneath the nasal lesion. The firm mass was excised and confirmed to be of gouty origin. The nasal bone defect was repaired with a titanium mesh plate to prevent nasal depression. He has fully recovered with no more nasal obstruction or recurrence of nasal tophus. The case report illustrates a common illness, gout, with a rare clinical manifestation leading to a common symptom, nasal obstruction. It demonstrates the importance of a detailed history, a thorough physical examination and most important of all, an extensive differential diagnosis in our clinical practice. Keywords: Nose, Gouty tophus, Bone