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Intra-articular hemangioma of the knee*

https://doi.org/10.1053/jars.2003.50068Get rights and content

Abstract

Intra-articular hemangioma of the knee is a rare cause of pain and spontaneous hemarthrosis, often seen as an internal derangement of the joint in children and young adults. The tumor is observed in two different forms: the synovial hemangioma or the arteriovenous malformation named also as hemangiohamartomas. They may cause hemorrhagic synovitis and arthropathy, probably as a result of recurrent episodes of intra-articular bleeding and mechanical irritation. Four cases of intra-articular hemangioma of the knee are presented in this study. Two of our cases were diagnosed as synovial hemangioma with the lesions localized inside the knee and the other 2 were intermediate type with the tumor extending to the muscle group and the skin. After magnetic resonance imaging and angiographic assessment, arthroscopic excision was performed in the localized type of the tumor. The other 2 cases received only diagnostic arthroscopy and biopsy followed by conservative treatment due to the extensive localization of the tumors and the serious chondral lesions. The decision of the treatment modality is very difficult in intra-articular hemangioma of the knee because, when combined with chondral degeneration, the incidence of local recurrence is high.

Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 19, No 3 (March), 2003: pp E17

Section snippets

Case 1

A 19-year-old woman had several episodes of pain, swelling, and occasional buckling of her right knee of 5 years of duration. She pointed out that she sometimes needed to use crutches to walk. There was no history of trauma. A subcutaneous hemangioma was observed in the physical examination of the infrapatellar and popliteal region (Fig 1).

. Subcutaneous hemangioma at the lateral part of the right knee.

Swelling with tenderness was localized to the suprapatellar pouch. Arthrocentesis confirmed

Discussion

Intra-articular hemangioma is a well-known but rare lesion that arises from any synovium-lined surface. The most typical form of synovial hemangioma is the intra-articular type in which the tumor forms a mass lined by synovial membrane. These tumors almost invariably involve the knee joint. However they have also been found in the elbow,8, 15 wrist, and ankle,8 as well as in the tendon sheath.16 There is a slight preponderance of female to male patients in the literature.17 This lesion has been

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  • Cited by (6)

    • Cavernous angioma of the knee: A case report

      2012, Egyptian Rheumatologist
      Citation Excerpt :

      The tumor is observed in two different forms: the synovial hemangioma or the arteriovenous malformation named also as hemangiohamartomas. They may cause hemorrhagic synovitis and arthropathy, probably as a result of recurrent episodes of intra-articular bleeding and mechanical irritation [5], they may be also relatively painless tumors [6]. Cavernous hemangioma may enter the differential diagnosis of other lesions encountered more frequently in clinical practice, including pigmented villonodular synovitis and traumatic hemarthrosis [7].

    • Synovial hemangioma and osteoarthritis of the knee: A case report

      2014, Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica
    *

    Address correspondence and reprint requests to Hayrettin Kesmezacar, M.D., Abide-i Hurriyet cad. Ruyam Palas No: 144/16 80260 Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey. E-mail: [email protected]

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