Gouty Tenosynovitis of the Distal Biceps Tendon Insertion Complicated by Partial Rupture: First Case and Review of the Literature.

Background

Given the appreciable prevalence of gout, gout-induced tendon ruptures in the upper extremity are extremely rare. Although these events have been reported only 5 times in the literature, all in patients with a risk factor for or history of gout, they have conspicuously never been diagnosed in the shoulder or elbow.

Methods

A 45-year-old, right-hand-dominant man with a history of gout presented with pain in his right anterior elbow and weakness in his forearm after a trivial injury.

Results

Here, we report the first case of gouty tenosynovitis of the distal biceps tendon insertion complicated by partial rupture, a composite diagnosis supported by both intraoperative and histological observations.

Conclusions

In patients who are clinically diagnosed with biceps tendon rupture and have a history of gout, it is important to consider the possibility of a gout-related pathological manifestation causing or simulating tendon rupture.