Location, Clinical Presentation, Diagnostic Algorithm and Open vs. Arthroscopic Surgery of Knee Synovial Haemangioma: A Report of Four Cases and a Literature Review

Objective: The aim was to report 4 patients with intra-articular knee synovial haemangioma (KSH) and to perform a systematic review to describe the patient characteristics, patterns of tumor location, clinical presentation, usefulness of imaging examinations, pros and cons of arthroscopic vs. open resection, and follow-up in the literature.Design: From 1996 to 2016, four patients with KSH were retrospectively reviewed. A literature search was conducted in PubMed from 2000/01 to 2020/06 using the search terms “synovial haemangioma” and “knee.” Fifty full-text articles that included a total of 92 patients were included for further discussion.Results: Four adults (20–40 years) were diagnosed with KSH. Three lesions located in the suprapatellar pouch, two eroding the patella and one the supratrochlear bone, and one in the posterior compartment. Persistent anterior knee pain was the main complain. MRI revealed a benign tumor mass in all cases except one. Open excisional biopsy and regional synovectomy were performed in three patients, and by arthroscopy of the posterior compartment in the fourth. Histological type was arteriovenous in three cases and capillary in one. A pain-free knee without recurrence was achieve in all cases except one, which was successfully reoperated. Average follow-up time was 3.5 years. A literature review showed that KSH appears most frequently in children and teenagers (64.6%) and does not differ by gender. The suprapatellar and patella-femoral joint compartment was the most frequent location (47.9%). The bony tissue of the knee was rarely affected (13.5%). Pain, swelling and haemarthrosis were frequently reported (88.2, 66.7, and 47.1%). MRI was the most commonly used imaging test (98%). Treatment consisted of regional synovectomy by open surgery or arthroscopy in 66.7 and 15.6% of cases, respectively.Conclusions: KSH should be considered in the differential diagnosis of adult patients with chronic low-intensity knee pain. MRI is the most useful exam because it establishes the location, extent and benign characteristics of the tumor. Definitive diagnosis requires histological examination. We believe excisional biopsy and regional synovectomy by arthroscopy should be the treatments of choice for intra-articular tumors, but we recommend open surgery when the lesion extends to the tendons, muscle or bone.

Tumours and tumour-like lesions of joints: Differential diagnoses in a paediatric population compared to adults

Objective: To determine the differential diagnosis of intra-articular tumours and tumour-like lesions in a paediatric population compared to adults. Methods: Retrospective review of children up to the age of 18 years with suspected intra-articular tumours and tumour-like lesions referred to a specialist musculoskeletal oncology service from January 2019 to August 2020. Data recorded included patient age and gender, lesion location and morphology (based on the classification system of Adams et al.), and the final diagnosis made either by image-guided biopsy/resection or by clinical and imaging features. Comparison was then made with a group of adults presenting during the same period. Results: 28 paediatric patients were included (12 males and 16 females with mean age 11.2 years, range 3–18 years). Joints involved were the knee (n = 22; 78.6%), ankle (n = 4; 14.3%), hip (n = 1; 3.6%) and elbow (n = 1; 3.6%). Lesion morphology was Type 1 (n = 18; 64.3%), Type 2 (n = 3; 10.7%), Type 3 (n = 1; 3.6%) and Type 4 (n = 5; 17.9%). Final diagnosis was made by image-guided biopsy/resection in 18 (64.3%) patients. The commonest neoplastic lesion was tenosynovial giant cell tumour (n = 11; 39.3%), followed by synovial haemangioma (n = 5; 17.9%). There was only a single malignant lesion, a case of synovial sarcoma. Of eight (28.6%) non-neoplastic lesions, three were diagnosed as juvenile idiopathic arthritis and three as non-specific synovitis. There was no difference compared to adults regarding gender, joint involved or lesion morphology, but there was a significant difference in final diagnoses (p < 0.001). The range of intra-articular tumours and tumour-like lesions in children differs from that in adults, although tenosynovial giant cell tumour is the commonest diagnosis in both groups and malignant lesions are rare. Advances in knowledgeart: In our series, ~16% of tumours and tumour-like lesions of joints occur in the paediatric population. Tenosynovial giant cell tumour remains the commonest diagnosis in children as in adults. Synovial haemangioma and juvenile idiopathic arthritis were the next commonest diagnoses in children, while primary synovial chondromatosis and reactive synovitis were the next commonest diagnoses in adults. Malignant lesions are rare in both groups.

Synovial Lipomatosis; A Clinicopathological Study of a Rare Entity

Objective: This study was conducted to analyse the clinicopathological and radiological features associated with Synovial lipomatosis.Patients and Methods: Cases diagnosed as Synovial lipomatosis from 2008 to 2018 were retrieved and clinical information and histology were reviewed.Results: Thirteen cases of Synovial lipomatosis were diagnosed between 2008 and 2018. Most common site was knee joint and mean age of presentation was 28.6. About 62% of subjects were males and mostly presented with joint pain and swelling. Two of the subjects had significant history of trauma and disease was bilateral in one of the cases. Microscopically, villous proliferation of synovium with infiltration of mature adipocytes was noted. Focal synovial hyperplasia and inflammatory infiltrate were other findings in some of the cases.Conclusion: Synovial lipomatosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of joint pain and swelling and should be distinguished from Pigmented villonodular synovitis, Synovial haemangioma and intra-articular synovial lipoma (IASL) using radiological and histological features.

Synovial Haemangioma of the Elbow: A rare paediatric case and imaging dilemma

Synovial haemangiomas are rare benign vascular proliferations arising in synovium-lined surfaces. While the knee is by far the joint most commonly involved, this condition can also occur in the elbow. We report an eight-year-old boy who presented to the National University of Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2016 with a left elbow swelling of one year’s duration. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a lobulated intraarticular mass with intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted imaging and low signal punctate and linear structures within the hyperintense mass on T2-weighted imaging. In addition, there was heterogeneous yet avid contrast enhancement on post-gadolinium contrast images. The mass had juxta-articular extension and bony erosion to the coronoid process and the head of the radius. Synovial haemangiomas present a diagnostic dilemma. This report highlights certain imaging characteristics to distinguish this entity from other differential diagnoses.