Abstract
Lipoma arborescens is a rare cause of chronic monoarticular arthritis, with only a few cases reported in the literature. It is most commonly seen in the knee, but cases in other joints such as the wrist, shoulder, and elbow have also been described. It is a benign condition, in which the subsynovial tissue is replaced diffusely by mature fat cells. We describe a case involving the knee and discuss the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Highlights
Referred to as villous lipomatous proliferation of synovial membrane, diffuse lipoma of the joint, or diffuse synovial lipoma, is a rare benign intraarticular lesion characterized by villous proliferation of the synovial membrane [1]
MRI demonstrated moderate knee osteoarthritis, a region of chondropathy in the medial tibial cartilage, and marked effusion with multiple fatty synovial proliferations, which is pathognomonic of lipoma arborescens (Figures 2 and 3)
Lipoma arborescens is a rare, mainly intra-articular lesion characterized by diffuse replacement of subsynovial tissue by mature fat cells, giving rise to a prominent villous transformation of the synovium [2]
Summary
Referred to as villous lipomatous proliferation of synovial membrane, diffuse lipoma of the joint, or diffuse synovial lipoma, is a rare benign intraarticular lesion characterized by villous proliferation of the synovial membrane [1]. The etiology of this condition still remains unclear. It most commonly involves the knee, but other locations have been described. The diagnosis is based on the typical appearance on MRI, and the recommended treatment is open or arthroscopic synovectomy.
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