Is arthroscopic surgery adequate to treat pigmented villonodular synovitis of the knee joint?

Background and objective: Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is characterized by inflammation and deposition of hemosiderin in the synovium. There is no clear consensus on the exact treatment protocol of PVNS. This study aimed to understand the effectiveness of arthroscopic surgery for PVNS of the knee joint. Subject and methods: We reported a case of 21-year-old male who presented with a progressive painful diffuse swelling of the knee joint. Radiographic imaging revealed PVNS of the knee which was confirmed by arthroscopy. The patient underwent radiotherapy after arthroscopic surgery for 8 weeks. This study has been submitted after due approval from the institutional review board of Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeshwara Hospital, India. Results: Patient was followed up for 1 year with no evidence of recurrence. Conclusion: Arthroscopy coupled with postoperative radiotherapy is useful in inhibiting PVNS and preventing its recurrence.