並列摘要
Auricular tophi are firm deposits of monosodium urate in crystal from, which may slowly develop from microscopic size to an egg-like shape in the sub-cutaneous tissue of the ear. Common locations for his growth on the ear are the helix and the antihelix. There is a distinct age and sex distribution. It occurs most commonly between the ages of 40 and 60 in men with chronic gout. We present a 70-year-old man with gouty arthritis who had a tender mass at the posterior surface of the right auricle for several years. A complete surgical excision was performed in April, 1998. Histologic examination showed needle-shaped crystals surrounded by foreign body giant cells. Auricular tophus was diagnosed. There has been no recurrence up to the present. A large tophus at the posterior surface of the auricle is rare. It may resem-ble a number of other diseases, including carcinoma, atheroma, epidermal cyst and keloid. Uncommon sites of urate deposition and the variability of the gross appearance may easily result in incorrect diagnosis.