Presentation
Right elbow mass and pain, with mobility limitation for more than 6 months.
Patient Data
X-ray images demonstrate a markedly expansile osteolytic lesion, sharply defined, with thin sclerotic margins (or a thin cortical shell), eccentrically located in the proximal metaphysis of the right ulnar bone. 1 month later the patient was submitted to biopsy and a bone tissue sample was collected for histopathological study.
3 months later the patient was submitted to surgical resection, for removal of the lesion with fibular bone grafting.
The follow up x-rays show the progression of consolidation.
As the fracture consolidation progresses, the patient states improvement in pain, swelling and also the mobility.
Case Discussion
The diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst is not simple, as the radiological features can mimic several conditions (the mnemonic FEGNOMASHIC). As it happened in this case, the diagnosis was made through clinical evaluation aided by imaging and histopathological studies.
Contributed by Dr. Guilherme Pioli Resende M.D. and Dr. Daniel Brito de Medeiros M.D.
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