Supra-acetabular fossa

Case contributed by Andrew Dixon
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Hip pain.

Patient Data

Age: 16 years
Gender: Female
mri

Focal 3mm deep 8mm wide fossa within the superior aspect of the acetabulum with cartilage continuing to line the fossa consistent with a supra-acetabular fossa (a normal variant). No evidence of any adjacent marrow reaction which you would certainly expect if this region represented an acquired osteochondral defect. 

Annotated image

Coronal and sagittal PD weighted images of a supra-acetabular fossa. Note how the fossa remains lined with intermediate signal cartilage. 

Case Discussion

Characteristic MRI appearance of a supra-acetabular fossa which is a normal variant. There is a small hip joint effusion which may indicate synovitis as a cause for the patient's symptoms. 

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.