Bilateral synovial chondromatosis of the elbow in an adolescent: a case report and literature review

• Published in: BMC musculoskeletal disorders Vol. 21; no. 1; p. 377
• Main Authors: Mo, Jianming, Pan, Jie, Liu, Yun, Feng, Wenyu, Li, Boxiang, Luo, Kai, Mo, Weijia, Lin, Huahao, Liao, Shijie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 13.06.2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Arthritis; Athlete; Bilateral; Calcification; Cartilage; Case Report; Case reports; Chondromatosis, Synovial - diagnostic imaging; Chondromatosis, Synovial - pathology; Chondromatosis, Synovial - surgery; Disease; Drugs; Elbow; Elbow joint; Elbow Joint - diagnostic imaging; Elbow Joint - pathology; Elbow Joint - surgery; Female; Growth factors; Histochemistry; Humans; Joint Loose Bodies - diagnostic imaging; Joint Loose Bodies - pathology; Joint Loose Bodies - surgery; Literature reviews; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mucosa; Musculoskeletal diseases; Pain; Patients; Physical Examination; Radiography; Range of motion; Range of Motion, Articular - physiology; Rehabilitation; Surgery; Synovial chondromatosis; Teenage girls; Teenagers; Trauma; Synovial chondromatosis; Bilateral; Elbow joint; Athlete; Adolescent
• ISSN: 1471-2474; 1471-2474
• DOI: 10.1186/s12891-020-03322-1

Primary synovial chondromatosis is a rare benign disease that occurs in the joint mucosa. In this case report, a 14-year-old gymnast sustained pain in both elbows for 2 months with limited elbow joint activity. The initial diagnosis of bilateral elbow synovial chondromatosis was performed by physical examination and imaging report. Later, the patient was treated with open surgery on both sides of the elbow, including all loose bodies were removed out and the proliferative synovia were cut off. Histopathology reports confirmed synovial chondromatosis. The report introduced a case about synovial chondromatosis in bilateral elbow found in a 14-year-old girl, which is rarely involved in bilateral elbow and rarely found in adolescents. This case report aims to provide a treatment option for surgeons in similar situations.