A Lipoma Arborescens Probably Causing Significant Osteoarthritis of the Elbow in a Young Man

TL;DR

A rare case of lipoma arborescens in a young man's elbow caused severe osteoarthritis, highlighting the need for early diagnosis.

Contribution

This paper presents a unique case linking lipoma arborescens to significant osteoarthritis in a young patient.

Findings

Lipoma arborescens in the elbow can lead to severe osteoarthritis in young individuals.

Early diagnosis and treatment of lipoma arborescens may prevent degenerative arthritis.

Abstract

Lipoma arborescens (LA) is a rare, non-neoplastic, intra-articular, mass-like lesion with villous lipomatous proliferation that replaces and distends the synovium, particularly in the knee joint. A few cases have been sporadically reported to affect the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, and ankle. The authors would like to present a rare and unique case of LA in the elbow joint with significant osteoarthritis in a 24-year-old young man, which suggests that a longstanding pre-existing LA can give rise to severe degenerative arthritis even in young patients unless diagnosed early and adequately treated.

Figures