Primary B cell lymphoma of the patella presenting as anterior knee pain: A case report

Benjamin Wright; Andrew Moore; David Becker-Weidman; David Joyce

doi:10.1016/j.jor.2023.11.022

Primary B cell lymphoma of the patella presenting as anterior knee pain: A case report

J Orthop. 2023 Nov 14:48:60-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jor.2023.11.022. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Benjamin Wright¹, Andrew Moore², David Becker-Weidman³, David Joyce⁴

Affiliations

¹ University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 560 Channelside Drive, Mail Code: MDD 54, Tampa, FL, 33612-4799, USA.
² University of South Florida, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, 13330 USF Laurel Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
³ H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Radiology Department, 12902 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
⁴ H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Sarcoma Department, 12902 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.

PMID: 38077471
PMCID: PMC10700799 (available on 2025-02-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jor.2023.11.022

Abstract

Case: A 76-year-old female with a history of multiple falls on the patella presented with worsening knee pain, swelling, and reduced range of motion. Radiographs revealed tricompartmental osteoarthritis and subtle erosion of the posterior cortex of the patella that was missed by the referring orthopedist and radiologist. Her persistent pain prompted an MRI, revealing a mass later confirmed to be primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the patella after biopsy and appropriate metastatic workup.

Conclusion: Primary B-cell patellar lymphoma is a rarely described cause of knee pain requiring broad differential diagnosis and multidisciplinary workup in order to avoid erroneous treatment and ensure prompt oncologic treatment.

Keywords: Anterior knee pain; DLBCL; Extranodal lymphoma; Patella; Primary lymphoma of bone.