| These deposits are called tophi and can cause significant joint damage over the years. |
| Joint damage in hyperuricemia causes classical attacks of gout but tophi may also develop in cartilage, tendons and other tissues. |
| Though they are good for reducing the risk of gout and tophi, they actually increase the risk of kidney stones. |
| Chalky deposits called tophi may appear under the skin around joints and in the cartilage of the ears. |
| Only a minority of patients with hyperuricemia develops tophi and gouty arthritis. |
| If gout is untreated and the disease becomes advanced, deposits of urate crystals may form into nodules called tophi beneath the skin. |
