Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the elbow in a 6-year-old girl

Abstract

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is an uncommon synovial lesion affecting primarily tendon sheaths (“giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath”) and less commonly joints and bursae. 6 Hughes TH Sartoris DJ Schweitzer ME Resnick DL Pigmented villonodular synovitis: MRI characteristics. Skeletal Radiol. 1995; 24: 7-12 Crossref PubMed Scopus (168) Google Scholar As its name implies, PVNS is characterized by the villous, nodular, or villonodular proliferation of the synovium. Its cause is not clear, although it has been considered to be either a locally aggressive neoplasm or a reactive synovitis. 3 DiCaprio MR Damron TA Stadnick M Fuller C. Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the elbow: a case report and literature review. J Hand Surg [Am]. 1999; 24: 386-391 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (25) Google Scholar , 4 Docken WP Pigmented villonodular synovitis: a review with illustrative case reports. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 1979; 9: 1-22 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (80) Google Scholar The most commonly affected joint is the knee, followed in decreasing order of frequency by the hip, wrist, ankle, and shoulder. 9 Pignatti G Mignani G Bacchini P Calderoni P Campanacci M. Case report 590. Diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis with a cartilaginous component. Skeletal Radiol. 1990; 19: 65-67 Crossref PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar Elbow involvement in PVNS is rare and, according to a recent review of the literature, there are only 12 documented cases of PVNS involving this joint. 3 DiCaprio MR Damron TA Stadnick M Fuller C. Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the elbow: a case report and literature review. J Hand Surg [Am]. 1999; 24: 386-391 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (25) Google Scholar PVNS is mainly encountered in young adults and is uncommon in children 4 Docken WP Pigmented villonodular synovitis: a review with illustrative case reports. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 1979; 9: 1-22 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (80) Google Scholar , 11 Sundaram M Chalk D Merenda J Verde JN Salinas-Madrigal L. Case report 563: pigmented villonodular synovitis of the knee. Skeletal Radiol. 1989; 18: 463-465 Crossref PubMed Scopus (6) Google Scholar ; however, the earliest reported case of PVNS of the elbow was at 7 years of age. 8 Lindenbaum BL Hunt T. An unusual presentation of pigmented villonodular synovitis. Clin Orthop. 1977; 122: 263-267 PubMed Google Scholar We report a 6-year-old child with PVNS of the left elbow, diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and confirmed with excisional biopsy.