Soft Tissue Aneurysmal Bone Cyst in the Sartorius Muscle of a 13-Year-Old Boy Mimicking Myositis Ossificans: Case Report

Abstract

Introduction A soft tissue aneurysmal bone cyst is an extremely rare tumor. The objective of the article is to present the clinical, radiological, and histopathological features of a very unusual neoplasm of soft tissues. Case report A 13-year-old male patient presented a painful, mobile, and rapidly growing mass on the posteromedial aspect of his left knee. Imaging studies revealed a mass that arose from the medial surface of the distal sartorius muscle, with extension to the subcutaneous fat tissue. It was a well-circumscribed solid tumor with a peripheral rim calcification on plain film, computerized tomography, and ultrasound (zonal phenomenon). On magnetic resonance imaging, a heterogenous mass on T1-weighted images (WI) and T2-WI was seen, with a peripheral hypointense rim in both sequences. An outstanding edema on T2-WI extending to the soft tissue and muscles of the medial compartment of the knee was detected. The mass was resected, and the “tumoral mimickers” histopathological and molecular (next-generation sequencing) diagnoses confirmed a soft tissue aneurysmal bone cyst. A follow-up showed that the patient was free of disease 12 months after surgery. Conclusion Soft tissue aneurysmal bone cyst is a rare tumor. Appropriate clinical and radiological correlation should be performed to differentiate it from other tumor mimickers.