Unusual lesions mimicking impingement syndrome in the shoulder joint - Think medially

Impingement syndrome is usually caused by irritation of the rotator cuff within the sub acromial space and this includes the coraco-acromial arch (Acromion and Coraco-acromial ligament), the acromio-clavicular joint and occasionally the coracoid. Iatrogenic causes such as sutures, pins, plates or wires left from previous surgery can cause similar symptoms. We present a series of four cases mimicking "classical" impingement symptoms/signs in which the causal pathology was identified outside the sub-acromial space. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed lesions that were present in the supra-spinatus fossa but were causing pressure effects on the sub-acromial space, namely - a ganglion cyst in one case, lipomata in two other cases, and a glomus tumour. A ganglion cyst and glomus tumour mimicking impingement syndrome is a rare reported case to our knowledge. These are unusual causes that should be considered when investigating classical impingement syndrome and particularly those who may have failed to respond to decompression surgery. They highlight the potential value of looking beyond the sub-acromial space for causal lesions and in these cases, at a time when limited ultrasound investigation has become increasingly popular; MRI has clearly played an important and was essential in planning surgery as these lesions would not have been identified on USS. Even though the symptoms were classical.