Pseudotumor in Metal-on-metal Total Hip Arthroplasty: An Unusual Complication

Abstract

ABSTRACT Second-generation metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasty (THA) was introduced to overcome the complications associated with the wear debris from ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). However, a new type of complication began appearing, described as aseptic lymphocyte-dominated vasculitis-associated lesion (ALVAL). Patients with ALVAL complain of pain and, in some cases, extensive swelling around the hip joint known as “pseudotumors.” The cause is unknown and probably multifactorial. This may be an adverse reaction to an excess of particulate metal wear debris or a hypersensitivity reaction to a normal amount of metal debris. Surgical findings are typical and symptoms tend to resolve reliably following conversion to an alternative bearing surface. We report one such case of a 55-year-old male, who underwent a revision of bearing surfaces because of ALVAL and pseudotumor formation following an MoM THA at our institute. How to cite this article Virk JS, Garg SK, Aggarwal P, Kundu R, Bohat R. Pseudotumor in Metal-on-metal Total Hip Arthroplasty: An Unusual Complication. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2018;52(1):26-30.