A Case of Callus Induced By Tophi

Ryu, Young Sik; Park, Jong Gap; Lee, Jun Young; Kim, Jin Wou; Suh, Eun Joo

Abstract

Callus is a nonpenetrating circumscribed hyperkeratosis produced by repeated friction or pressure. It occurs on parts subjected to intermittent pressure, particularly on the palms and soles, and particularly over the bony prominences of the joints. In painful callosities of the feet, ill-fitting shoes and orthopedic problems of the foot (bunions, exostoses) are some of the etiological factors to be considered. Gout is a condition of inborn metabolic and/or acquired form of the disease characterized by hyperuricemia, tophaceous deposits of sodium urate and recurrent attacks of arthritis. We present a case of callus caused by tophi. The patient was a 45-year-old man who had complained of a painful, well-demarcated, hyperkeratotic plaque on the heel of the left foot for 18 months. After the tophi beneath overlying whitish thickened skin had been removed, the skin lesion disappeared and to date has not recurred.