Intra-articular nodular fasciitis: a rare lesion case report and an updated review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Nodular fasciitis is a benign proliferation of myofibroblasts that usually arises in subcutaneous tissues of the trunk, neck, head, and upper extremities of young adults. It is not reported to arise in the joints. CASE PRESENTATION: In this report, we describe a rare case where nodular fasciitis occurred in an intra-articular location in the right knee of a 20-year-old man. The patient presented with 3-months’ duration of knee pain without history of trauma to the extremity. Physical examination revealed pain, joint effusion, and limited range of motion (ROM) of the affected knee. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 2.5 × 2 × 1 cm lesion in front of the posterior cruciate ligament. Arthroscopically, the soft tissue mass was removed and pathologically diagnosed as a rare, benign, intra-articular nodular fasciitis. Symptoms resolved 1 month after the operation and no recurrence was found at the 6 months follow-up. CONCLUSION: The present paper describes detailed characteristics of intra-articular nodular fasciitis and provides an updated comprehensive summary of 21 prior case reports.