# 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.

## Key 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.