Colchicine neuromyopathy

Colchicine myopathy can complicate standard treatment of gout, especially in those patients with underlying renal insufficiency. The symptoms of this disorder are frequently insidious, and the diagnostic tests used in its evaluation are mostly nonspecific. It is important to be aware of this entity, as the discontinuation of colchicine will allow a prompt remission. Definitive diagnosis usually requires histologic examination where a characteristic vacuolar myopathy is typically present. Magnetic resonance imaging can be useful in the localization of optimal biopsy sites, although its use as a diagnostic modality in these patients is speculative.