Primary chest wall tumor appearing as frozen shoulder. Review and case presentations

The term frozen shoulder may apply to a primary, common, recognizable entity with a predictable course to a painful stiff condition with periarthritis secondary to trauma, rotator cuff or arthritic source. We studied 140 cases of frozen shoulder, referred to a surgical clinic for manipulation when conservative care was not effective. Investigations showed only 40 cases had "primary" frozen shoulder and among these were 3 patients with a local primary invasive neoplasm mimicking the exact features of the common condition. The attending physician and surgeon should be suspicious of tumor in younger patients with progressive pain among the other features of primary frozen shoulder.