Calcified synovial metastasis in the knee from renal cell carcinoma: a case report

Skeletal Radiol. 2017 Jan;46(1):123-127. doi: 10.1007/s00256-016-2504-6. Epub 2016 Oct 20.

Abstract

We present the case of an 83-year-old man who had painful swelling of right knee for 6 months. Radiographs showed a large intra-articular soft-tissue mass with small calcifications, whereas MRI detected a multilobulated intra-articular tumor with bone erosions at the distal femur. Histopathology of ultrasound-guided biopsy specimen of the synovial mass revealed it to be a poorly differentiated metastatic carcinoma. Abdominal computed tomography with intravenous contrast medium administration found a heterogeneously enhancing large right renal mass with calcifications, which was shown to be a renal cell carcinoma on histopathology. No metastases were found elsewhere. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case with MRI findings of a calcified intra-articular synovial metastasis from renal cell carcinoma.

Keywords: Calcified intra-articular metastasis; Calcified renal cell carcinoma; Calcified synovial tumor; Synovial metastasis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Calcinosis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Calcinosis / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / diagnostic imaging*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / secondary*
  • Contrast Media
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Image-Guided Biopsy
  • Kidney Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Knee Joint*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Male
  • Sarcoma, Synovial / diagnostic imaging*
  • Sarcoma, Synovial / secondary*

Substances

  • Contrast Media