Atypical Presentation of Non-Ossifying Fibroma in a Professional Muay Thai Boxer: A Case Report and a Narrative Review of the Literature

INTRODUCTION: Sports injuries occur during sport athletic activities, or exercising. However, there are some lesions which are typically associated to sports, in such a demanding and physical sport like Muay Thai that no typical lesion has been detected yet. We performed a narrative review of the literature to highlight the typical lesions of this sport to analyze the differential diagnosis of those conditions. CASE REPORT: A 28-year-old female, Muay Thai athlete since 16 years, presented with a 6 months history of a persistent pain in the metaphyseal lateral part of the right tibia. Differentiation between stress injuries, malignant bone tumors, and tumor-like lesions after repetitive microtrauma following sport activities can be difficult. The diagnostic approach involved conventional X-ray, echotomography, computed tomography scan, and magnetic resonance imaging scan with controversial findings. The biopsy confirmed the final diagnosis of non-ossifying fibroma. CONCLUSION: The purpose of this case report is to exhibit the challenges in the diagnosis of a professional Muay Thai athlete with tibial pain and to discuss the clinical presentation of this type of patients with a limited population in the literature. Our case illustrates that even modern imaging techniques cannot always distinguish between tumor and tumor-like lesions caused by sports; meanwhile remembered us that we should never be too focused on a particular characteristic forgetting even rare pathologies as adamantinoma.