The inflammation of the pinnae and bone-colored, asymmetrical, superficial lesions in the helix of the ear shown in the photograph below were seen in a 33-year-old man who also presented with joint pain and general malaise of 2 weeks duration. The opposite ear was similarly affected. The patient’s serum uric acid level was elevated, and joint aspiration revealed uric acid crystals. Radiographs of the joints showed no erosion. His grandfather had been treated for gout.
Photo courtesy of Les Trope, MD, Eric Capulla, MD, and Shlomo Trope, MD
