Atypical hip pain origin in a young athletic woman: A case report of giantcell carcinoma

Primary bone tumors are infrequently encountered in a sports medicine pract ice. We describe a case in which a young athletic woman with a medical hist ory significant for ulcerative colitis initially presented to our clinic wi th chronic hip pain. Her initial roentograms were negative for boney pathol ogy and her history and examination were consistent with trochanteric bursi tis. However, follow-up radiographs performed 9 months later showed a radio lucent mass that eventually, after open biopsy and histologic evaluation, w as determined to be giant cell tumor. This c ase shows the importance of re peat radiographic studies in patients whose joint pain does not respond or responds slowly to conservative therapy, despite initial normal findings. I t also establishes that radiographic findings do not always correlate with actual disease process, for this lesion was found to be giant cell carcinom a-a diagnosis contrary to the original diagnosis of clear cell chondrosarco ma that was suggested by radiology.