EXTRAARTICULAR PIGMENTED VILLONODULAR SYNOVITIS OF THE SHOULDER - A CASE-REPORT

A rotator cuff tear was diagnosed in a 57-year-old woman based on phys ical examination and magnetic resonance imaging studies, At operation, an abnormal bursal lesion also was found, The lesion was completely e xtraarticular and was identified histologically as pigmented villonodu lar synovitis. The patient was treated with complete bursectomy and re pair of the rotator cuff tear and remains asymptomatic 21 months after operation, Pigmented villonodular synovitis is a condition characteri zed by cell proliferation and deposition of hemosiderin into the linin g tissues of joints, tendons, and bursae, The extraarticular form of p igmented villonodular synovitis is extremely rare and usually represen ts an extension of a primary intraarticular process, Only a few casts have been reported in which the lesion was found exclusively outside t he joint with no intraarticular segment, In reviewing the literature, no case of exclusively extraarticular pigmented villonodular synovitis of the shoulder was found, The sequelae of extraarticular pigmented v illonodular synovitis are poorly understood, but this lesion fan be lo cally invasive, and if left untreated, may destroy surrounding tissues , Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are important for optimal r esults.