Subsynovial epidermal inclusion cyst of the knee.

Abstract

We report a case of a subsynovial epidermal inclusion cyst in a 47-year-old woman with a painful spontaneous swelling of the right knee and a 2-year history of puncture and arthroscopy. Epidermal inclusion cysts are one of the most common benign subcutaneous tumours. Very rarely, they are located in an articulation and can cause an inflammatory reaction when rupture occurs. Simple surgical excision is the preferred therapy. The main goal of this case report is to include the possibility of an intra-articular epidermal inclusion cyst into the differential when imaging shows an intra-articular structure, and more so if there is a history of trauma, intra-articular puncture or arthroscopy.