A 57-Year-Old Woman with Calcific Tendinitis of the Gluteus Medius Presenting with Right Lateral Hip Pain Managed by Endoscopic Debridement

Patient: Female, 52-year-old Final Diagnosis: Calcific tendinitis of gluteus medius Symptoms: Right lateral hip pain Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Orthopedics and Traumatology OBJECTIVE: Rare disease BACKGROUND: Calcific tendinitis of the hip is rare but most commonly occurs in the gluteus medius. It occurs more frequently in women, usually between the ages of 40 and 70 years. Calcific tendinitis of the gluteus medius is associated with pain and tenderness in the greater trochanter region, can be acute or chronic, and should be distinguished from other differential diagnoses, such as trochanteric bursitis. Calcific tendinitis of the gluteus medius is scarcely reported in the literature, and there is no management guideline for this condition. Although it is usually managed conservatively, there are reports of more invasive techniques, such as needle lavage and surgery. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a middle-aged woman who presented with right hip pain of a 1-year duration, mainly on climbing stairs. Plain radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging revealed calcific tendinitis of the right gluteus medius. She underwent a trial of conservative management, which included a triamcinolone injection, but remained symptomatic. She subsequently underwent endoscopic debridement of the calcification and recovered uneventfully after surgery, with complete resolution of her symptoms at the 2-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This report has shown the importance of imaging in the diagnosis of calcific tendinitis of the gluteus medius and supports endoscopic debridement as an effective modality in the management of this condition.