Successful treatment of aneurysmal bone cyst of the hip in a child by selective transcatheter arterial embolization

Abstract

Aneurysmal bone cysts are rare lesions that occur more commonly in the first and second decades of life. In children, a juxtaepiphyseal location is associated with increased risk of growth plate damage, skeletal deformity, and recurrence. Different treatments have been reported for the management of aneurysmal bone cysts, including surgical excision with or without adjuvants, intralesional injection of sclerosing agents, radiation therapy, cryotherapy, systemic calcitonin therapy, and selective arterial embolization. The authors present the case of a 5-year-old girl with a large aneurysmal bone cyst at the proximal femur, complicated by a pathologic fracture; treatment with two selective transcatheter arterial embolizations was curative.