Septic arthritis and calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease in the setting of chronic gout.

Septic arthritis is a medical and surgical emergency that if left untreated may lead to permanent joint disfigurement and loss of function. In the setting of chronic joint disease, the diagnosis, based on history and physical examination, may be difficult. A case is reported of a patient with a history of aspirate-proven gout presenting with symptoms of typical gouty exacerbation but diagnosed as septic arthritis and pseudogout.