A Case Report of Synovial Chondromatosis of the Knee Joint arising from the Marginal Synovium

INTRODUCTION: Synovial chondromatosis is a rare benign condition arising from the synovial membrane of the joints, synovial sheaths or bursae around the joints. Primary synovial chondromatosis typically affects the large joints in the third to fifth decade of life, although involvement of smaller joints and presentation in younger age group is also documented. The purpose of this case report is to document this rare synovial pathology especially in an adolescent age group, which required open synovectomy and debridement to eradicate it. Metaplastic growth from the marginal synovium fixed to the adjacent cartilage was atypical feature in this case, which to the best of my knowledge has not been reported earlier. CASE REPORT: A sixteen year old boy presented with one year history of pain, swelling and restriction of left knee joint. After the clinical and radiological assessment open synovectomy, removal of loose bodies and thorough joint debridement procedure was performed. Histopathological study confirmed the findings of synovial chondromatosis. CONCLUSION: Synovial chondromatosis is a rare benign condition very rarely seen in adolescent age group. Metaplastic growth arising from marginal synovium was an atypical feature which is occasionally seen. Complete synovectomy offers reliable cure rate.