Intra-articular milk of calcium in saturnine gout.

Abstract

Radiographs of two patients with saturnine gout (lead gout) demonstrated radio-opaque material which resembled milk of calcium within several joints. A histochemical examination of knee aspirate of one of the patients revealed a combination of monosodium urate and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate. Subsequently, the authors suspected that the findings of intra-articular milk of calcium were due to the coexistence of saturnine gout and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease rather than intra-articular calcified tophus.