Crystal arthropathy of the lumbar spine: a report of 4 cases

HY Lam, KY Cheung, SW Law, KY Fung
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, Hong Kong

Gout or pseudogout, caused by deposition of crystals, rarely affects the spine. We report 4 cases with gout or pseudogout in the lumbar spine. Two had cauda equina syndrome and another 2 had spinal stenosis. To avoid unnecessary surgery, this should be considered in the differential diagnosis when treating patients with histories of gout or pseudogout for spinal problems.