Bursitis of the coccyx in an adult with rheumatoid arthritis mimicking a sacrococcygeal meningocele

Surg Neurol Int. 2021 May 10:12:220. doi: 10.25259/SNI_369_2021. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Background: Bursitis is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by the deposition of cholesterol, macrophage infiltration, and bursal wall calcification. Bursitis is, however, rarely found in the sacrococcygeal region where it may present as a space-occupying mass.

Case description: A 64-year-old male with rheumatoid arthritis presented with 3 years' duration of difficulty sitting and walking due to a soft-tissue mass involving the coccyx region. Once the patient's MR demonstrated a cystic lesion with erosion of the coccyx, the patient underwent gross total resection of the lesion that proved to be pathologically consistent with bursitis. Postoperatively, the patient's complaints fully resolved.

Conclusion: Bursitis may present as a soft-tissue tumor-like lesion in the coccyx that favorably responds to gross total surgical excision.

Keywords: Bursitis; Rheumatoid arthritis; Sacrococcygeal.

Publication types

  • Case Reports