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Review
. 2019 Aug;22(8):1578-1581.
doi: 10.1111/1756-185X.13618. Epub 2019 Jun 27.

Bilateral brachial synovial cysts in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Case report and literature review

Qi Zheng  1 , Meiping Lu  1
Affiliations
Review

Bilateral brachial synovial cysts in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Case report and literature review

Qi Zheng et al. Int J Rheum Dis. 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Aim: To review the clinical features of brachial synovial cyst.

Method: A case of bilateral brachial synovial cysts is described in a child suffering from systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis during a relapse. Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography were conducted to further evaluate the nature of the cysts. The case is compared with known cases in a literature review.

Results: Review of the literature showed that brachial synovial cysts occur most commonly in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It is considered that uncontrolled systemic inflammation and recurrent disease activity might be the cause of synovial cysts.

Conclusion: Brachial synovial cyst is a rare manifestation of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Uncontrolled systemic inflammation inducing chronic damage to joint structure may be the primary cause of synovial cyst formation.

Keywords: brachial synovial cyst; juvenile idiopathic arthritis; subclinical synovitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Appearance of bilateral synovial cyst. A, Clinical photograph showing a subcutaneous cyst on right forearm (black arrow). B, Longitudinal view of the cyst with internal septation on left forearm by ultrasonography (white arrow). C, Longitudinal view of the cyst on right forearm by ultrasonography (white arrow)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of bilateral brachial synovial cysts. (A‐C) Longitudinal section of MRI shows irregular cystic fluid signals in bilateral synovial cysts (white arrows). (B) Transverse section of bilateral synovial cysts showing hyperintensity signal on T2‐weighted image (red arrows)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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