Arthroscopic Excision of Giant Cell Tumor of the Tendon Sheath in the Knee Mimicking Patellar Tendinopathy: A Case Report

Giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath (GCTTS) predominantly occurs in the tendon sheaths of the hand, but rarely in those of the knee. The current study reports the case of a 36-year-old male patient presenting with anterior knee pain. The patient was ultimately diagnosed with GCTTS in the knee mimicking patellar tendinopathy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of its kind. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-defined oval intra-articular lesion located at the proximal segment of the infrapatellar fat pad. The lesion was completely excised under arthroscopy and pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of GCTTS. There was no evidence of recurrence at the 2-year follow-up examination. The findings of the present study suggest that, despite its rarity, GCTTS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patellar tendinopathy.