Giant cell tumor of patella: A case report and review of literature

Objective: Patella is a sesamoid bone which develops in the quadriceps tendon. It is an uncommon site for neoplasms. The most common primary tumors which involve patella are benign. These include chondroblastoma, giant cell tumor (GCT) and aneurysmal bone cyst. Malignant lesions are less common in patella. These encompass metastasis, osteosarcoma and hemangioendothelioma. The most common complaint in patients of GCT patella is anterior knee pain. Early diagnosis and optimal management are necessary for improving survival rate in these patients. Case Presentation: The authors present a case report of GCT of patella in a 16-year old child. Incisional biopsy was done to confirm the diagnosis. Further radiological examination showed that the tumor involved almost whole of the patella. Hence, surgical management in the form of patellectomy and extensor mechanism repair was done to improve the outcome of the disease. The patient did not have any clinical or radiological symptoms at the end of the final follow up of 22 months. Conclusion: Primary tumor of patella is a rare entity. Benign tumors like GCT present only with anterior knee pain and should be included in the differential diagnosis of anterior knee pain. MRI is useful to determine the extent of involvement of tumor in the patella. Treatment may vary from curettage and bone grafting to total patellectomy with extensor mechanism repair.