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Case Reports
. 2024 Sep 2;16(9):e68435.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.68435. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Surgical Treatment of Proximal Humerus Unicameral Bone Cyst: A Case Report

Mohamed Nasheed  1 , Muhammad Kamal Muhammad Abdul Jamil  1 , Ahmad Fazly Abd Rasid  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Surgical Treatment of Proximal Humerus Unicameral Bone Cyst: A Case Report

Mohamed Nasheed et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Unicameral bone cysts (UBCs) are noncancerous, fluid-containing sacs commonly seen in the metaphysis of long bones among young individuals, mainly affecting the proximal humerus and femur. Since they are painless, 80% of patients do not experience any symptoms from UBCs unless it is complicated by a pathological or stress fracture. These patients usually present with no history of trauma, with mild pain, local tenderness, and occasionally swelling. The diagnosis of UBCS can either be an incidental finding or can be made with the help of clinical features, radiographs, and differential diagnoses of UBCs like aneurysmal bone cyst, fibrous dysplasia, enchondroma, eosinophilic granuloma, and intraosseous ganglia can be ruled out. While identifying these cysts is often straightforward, there is ongoing debate regarding the optimal management approach. We report a case of a 16-year-old female with proximal humerus UBC who presented with a pathological fracture of the right proximal humerus. The patient was initially managed conservatively. However, she sustained a refracture at the same site twice over four years. Due to fracture recurrence and residual deformity, it was treated surgically with curettage, bone grafting, and internal fixation. The normal alignment and function of the right upper limb were restored postoperatively.

Keywords: curettage; fracture; humerus; surgical treatment; unicameral bone cyst.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Radiograph of right humerus in anteroposterior (A) and lateral view (B)
A: Anteroposterior view, B: Lateral view
Figure 2
Figure 2. Radiograph of right humerus in anteroposterior and lateral view on postoperative day one
A: Anteroposterior view, B: Lateral view
Figure 3
Figure 3. Radiograph of right humerus
A: Anteroposterior view three months postoperatively, B: Lateral view three months postoperatively, C: Anteroposterior view six months postoperatively, D: Lateral view six months postoperatively
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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