AN INTRATENDINOUS GANGLION CYST OF THE PATELLAR TENDON: A RARE CAUSE OF ANTERIOR KNEE PAIN

Ganglion cysts in the knee region can manifest as anterior knee pain. Unlike synovial cysts, these lesions lack synovial epithelial lining and occur secondary to mucoid degeneration of connective tissue because, often in response to chronic irritation and repetitive traumas. However, an intratendinous location is a rare finding. In the knee region, infrapatellar fat pad, the alar folds, and the anterior cruciate ligament are recognized to degenerate into ganglion. There are few case reports describing an involvement of the patellar tendon. We present the clinical case of a 72 years old male patient suffering from anterior knee pain attributed to an intratendinous ganglion cyst of the patellar tendon, obviously after a single traumatic event. After aspiration of the ganglion cyst the patient reported no complaints, and there has been no recurrence during the latest follow-up examination.