Drug-induced chronic gout, unspecified elbow, without tophus

This code signifies a chronic inflammatory arthritis of the elbow joint caused by a medication, without the presence of urate crystal deposits (tophi). The condition is characterized by recurrent attacks of pain, swelling, and tenderness in the elbow due to elevated uric acid levels induced by drug therapy.

Apply this code when documentation clearly indicates chronic gout in an unspecified elbow joint, directly attributed to a drug, and specifically states the absence of tophi. This diagnosis is typically supported by a history of medication use known to cause hyperuricemia, characteristic elbow symptoms, and laboratory findings consistent with gout.

• Ensure documentation specifies "drug-induced" and "chronic" gout, as well as the absence of tophi.
• If the specific drug causing the gout is known, consider an additional code from T36-T50 to identify the adverse effect.
• Do not use this code if the gout is acute, not drug-induced, or if tophi are present; alternative codes exist for those scenarios.