Hello and welcome.
Thank you for your query.
To start off with, I would like to educate you on the diagnosis of
Gout. A diagnosis of gout is made both clinically and with the help of a
blood test (at least), urinary level of uric acid, etc. Gout is the increase in the level of uric acid (present in the blood), that is called
hyperuricemia. However, a person having hyperuricemia does not necessarily mean he/she has gout.
Thus, we should understand that your husband would have had a high uric acid level from before he accidently dropped the wooden pallet on his foot, and this
injury did not cause gout.
Gout requires continuous monitoring of uric acid levels, as they might even be found to be normal or slightly high when checked sometimes. A strict diet ensures good control of uric acid levels.
There could be a possibility of a more complicated injury, or the presence of a callous (a stone) on the bone, which is a bony outgrowth normally seen in gout. This could be causing the change in skin around the region, the swelling and pain.
In my opinion an x-ray would help in better visualizing the condition, which could also have caused a minor
fracture.
It is best to rule out all causes of skeletal (bone), muscular injury, and infection before looking into other options.
I hope I have succeeded in answering your questions, you could write back to us anytime for further clarifications.
Best wishes.