Nonossifying fibroma presenting as an aneurysmal bone cyst: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Nonossifying fibroma is a common fibrous bone lesion in children that occurs in the metaphysis of the long bones of the lower extremities. The lesion rarely leads to aneurysmal bone cyst, which is characterized as a blood-filled space. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 13-year-old Japanese boy with a complaint of discomfort in the thigh and a small, well-defined, osteolytic lesion with cortical thinning located in the medullary space of the distal diaphysis of the femur. At 10-month follow-up, the size of the lesion had increased. Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging failed to detect any solid area. Curettage and bone graft were performed and confirmed a blood-filled cystic lesion. The pathological diagnosis of the cyst wall was that of nonossifying fibroma, suggesting aneurysmal bone cyst as a secondary change. An aneurysmal bone cyst is rarely found secondary to nonossifying fibroma, and the diaphyseal location is atypical for nonossifying fibroma, both of which made diagnosis challenging. CONCLUSION: The current case is a reminder to clinicians that, although rare, nonossifying fibroma can be associated with aneurysmal bone cyst, and both can occur in the diaphysis of long bones.