A rare case of a swollen knee due to disseminated synovial chondromatosis: a case report

INTRODUCTION: A synovial chondromatosis is a rare benign neoplasm on the synovium. Although described as a benign disease, it can be very destructive and can cause severe osteoarthritis and pain. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first known case of an extensive presentation of this intra-articular and extra-articular disease of the knee joint. CASE PRESENTATION: A 49-year-old Caucasian man presented with right knee pain and stiffness caused by diffuse intra-articular and extra-articular synovial chondromatosis. He underwent careful preoperative imaging and planning followed by a two-stage arthroscopic and open procedure in order to completely eradicate the disease. He has regained full range of movement, but continues to experience residual pain due to severe osteoarthritis. CONCLUSIONS: Although synovial chondromatosis is described as a benign disease, it can be very destructive and debilitating. A challenging management dilemma arises when confronted with both synovial chondromatosis and osteoarthritis.