[Microcrystal deposit arthropathies of the wrist]

Microcrystalline arthropathies of the wrist include three main forms of microcrystalline pathology: gout, chondrocalcinosis and apatite calcifications. Gout of the wrist is now rare and may be missed, particularly in its chronic form, occasionally associated with tophi and large, often asymmetrical erosions on the X-rays. Chondrocalcinosis is frequent and easy to diagnose in the wrist and may be responsible for a very typical arthropathy predominantly involving the radiocarpal joint, while the frequency and specificity of scapho-trapezoid involvement are controversial. Apatite deposits in the wrist involve various tendons and ligaments, especially the tendon of flexor carpi ulnaris, but may also be responsible for intra-articular pathology.