Hundreds of rice bodies in the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa: report of two cases and literature review

BACKGROUND: Multiple rice bodies (RB) in the shoulder joint is a rare disorder of unknown etiology that requires percutaneous drainage or surgical operation. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported arthroscopic removal of hundreds of RB in the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa in two cases by our “chopsticks technique”. One was associated with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and the other was a rare synovial origin possibly due to microinfarction and ischemia after the radiotherapy. Radical debridement of necrotic tissue, “red tissue” and synovitis by arthroscopic radiofrequency ablation was essential for eliminating the cause of RB. A favorable clinical evolution was observed for both patients. CONCLUSIONS: We highlight the importance of patient-specific differential diagnosis and the clinical course of RB to help us further understand the pathogenesis of this uncommon disorder. Meanwhile, evacuation of RB and “red tissue” ablation by arthroscopy showed good results.