toe joint damage
Well, I have a fair amount of damage to the base joint on one of my big
toes. What gout normally seems to do is end up putting successive layers of
scar tissue in the joint, therefore causing it to become enlarged and
misshappen. I haven't heard of gout actually "eating" up parts of joints.
Once the joints become enlarged, there isn't any reversing it. The joint
does become somewhat less flexible. Takes a lot of this kind of damage,
though, to make removal necessary.
It almost sounds more like your hubby has some kind of bacterial infection
around that joint. The open wound thing doesn't sound like gout, either.
Maybe others on this reflector can give you better info. But, now you have
my experience.