Primary lipoma arborescens of the knee

Eur J Rheumatol. 2017 Sep;4(3):219-221. doi: 10.5152/eurjrheum.2017.17014. Epub 2017 Sep 1.

Abstract

Lipoma arborescens is a rare and benign intra-articular lesion of unknown etiology; it is characterized by synovial villous proliferation and sub-synovial connective tissue replacement by mature fatty tissue. It is part of the differential diagnosis in patients with an articulation affected by a slow, progressive, and chronically inflamed affection. We report primary knee involvement in a patient without significant articulate antecedents. Lipoma arborescens was diagnosed after knee magnetic resonance imaging and was confirmed by an anatomopathological study of the surgical specimen.

Keywords: Lipoma arborescens; magnetic resonance imaging; monoarthritis; synovial membrane.