title: Pigmented villonodular synovitis: a retrospective study of seventy five cases (eighty one joints).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a relatively rare, benign proliferation lesion of the synovium of large joints, but there is not much information available about the disease's aetiology, clinical history, differential diagnosis, treatment, and long-term effects. We conducted a study to analyse these aspects of PVNS.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed all clinical data for 75 patients with PVNS (81 joints) who were treated either by synovectomy alone or synovectomy plus arthroplasty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all cases, the diagnosis of PVNS was confirmed by pathological examination. The ratio of males to females was 27:48, and the average age of patients was 46 years (range, 15-80 years). Lesions were located in the knee, hip, or ankle, and pain and swelling were the main symptoms. Of 75 patients, 42 had a history of trauma to the involved joint. Forty-one patients (43 joints) underwent synovectomy alone, and 34 patients (38 joints) underwent synovectomy and arthroplasty together. Of the 75 patients, 61 had full follow-up data. Twelve patients had recurrent legions detected by pathological examinations; four patients had more than two recurrences. Moreover, five patients developed PVNS after arthroplasty.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PVNS occurs most often in middle-aged women and most frequently involves the knee, followed by the hip and ankle. The disease's etiology is varied and unclear. Surgical excision alone or with arthroplasty is an effective treatment, but there is a high rate of recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 415 Fengyang Road, Shanghai, China. maxiaomei2001@126.com
authors.forename: Xiaomei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Huimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Wentao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D001178:Arthroplasty; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000074402:Synovectomy; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013586:Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult