A Case Report of Primary Synovial Chondromatosis with Bilateral Genu Valgum

Synovial chondromatosis is the rare and benign metaplasia of the synovial membrane resulting in the formation of multiple intra-articular cartilaginous loose bodies. Synovial chondromatosis is known by several other names including articular chondrosis and synovial chondrosis.

An 18-year-old boy presented with complaints of difficulty in walking with growing deformity with restriction and painful movements of knee joints bilaterally. The patient gives a history of swelling which was initially there about 8 years back and was accompanied by fever. The patient has taken some treatment for the same by local medics but has not been relieved of his symptoms. Patient's symptoms are insidious in onset and have gradually progressed in its severity. The patient first noticed swelling over knee right side, which was accompanied by a fever followed by progressive deformity. He gave a history of locking in both knee joints. The patient gives no definitive history regarding any definitive treatment taken for his complaints.

Curvilinear or rounded calcified lesions within a soft tissue mass in the close vicinity of the joint should always be further investigated for the possibility of primary synovial osteochondromatosis (PSC). The imaging appearance of PSC appears sufficiently unique to allow its differentiation from other causes of intra-articular pathology. Genu valgum following synovial chondromatosis is not yet reported in the literature. Probably increased vascularity and synovitis may be the cause for valgus deformity. This patient is in follow-up for the past 3 years, and no recurrence of loose bodies has been noted. This case is unique in terms of the age of presentation and developmental deformity which is rare in PSC.