Lipoma Arborescens: A Rare Extra-Articular Manifestation of Extensor Tendons of the Wrist

Abstract

Lipoma arborescens is a benign tumor of the synovial, which appears, in majority of cases, unilaterally around the knee joint but in rare cases it can also be seen around other large joints (hip, ankle) or tendon sheaths. Extremely rarely, revelation has been reported on wrist or hand. The etiology is unclear and is characterized by the replacement of sub synovial tissue with mature fat cells giving rise to a villous proliferation. We report a 58 years old female with a dorsal palpable soft growing mass on dorsal surface of the wrist in which initially ultrasound diagnosis revealed gaglion cyst, while biopsy after surgical excision determined lipoma arborescens. The aim of this study is to identify that lipoma arborences should be considered in differential diagnosis of soft tumors of the wrist.