Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the hip mimicking soft-tissue sarcoma

Description: Pigmented villonodular synovitis is a rare and benign but potentially locally aggressive disease that should be considered in younger patients who present with monoarticular joint symptoms and pathology. We present a 30-year-old Sudanese woman with a huge mass arising from the right hip joint. A multimodality radiological approach to investigation and diagnosis is demonstrated and discussed. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen confirmed the diagnosis of pigmented villonodular synovitis with the mass consisting of a proliferation of fibrohistiocytic cells, abundant haemosiderin, foamy histiocytes, and occasional giant cells. The patient made a good recovery, with mobility aided by arm crutches and a hip abduction brace.
Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the hip mimicking soft-tissue sarcoma: a case report. Lee MK, Choong PF, Smith PJ, Powell GJ, Slavin JL, Schlicht SM. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2006 Apr;14(1):76-80. full text