Abstract
Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is rare in the shoulder, with few descriptions
in the literature. We present the case of a 58-year-old female patient with no history
of trauma. The patient reported pain for 2 months with no limb irradiation and presented
lifting strength loss and progressive limitation of active and passive mobility. She
underwent unsupervised physical therapy and there was no improvement in symptoms.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the shoulder showed an oval structure of
approximately 2 cm in diameter in the anteroinferior region of the glenohumeral joint
with internal hypointense signal foci. We performed the arthroscopic treatment, with
marginal resection of the lesion and tenotomy of the long bicipital head. The anatomopathological
report confirmed the diagnosis of PVNS. Four years and five months after the surgery,
the patient is pain-free, with full recovery of the left shoulder function. A follow-up
MRI showed no recurrence, demonstrating the effectiveness of the arthroscopic treatment
in this case.
Keywords
arthroscopy - giant cell tumor of tendon sheath - shoulder injuries - shoulder joint
