Clinical and oncological outcomes after surgical excision of pigmented villonodular synovitis at the foot and ankle

BackgroundPigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare benign neoplastic disease of the synovium of joints and tendon sheaths, which may be locally aggressive. It can be broadly classified into localised disease or more diffuse forms, with the latter more prone to recurrence after surgical excision. We describe our experience in the management of foot and ankle PVNS, focusing on the diffuse type.MethodsPatients with PVNS were identified from a histology database from 2000 to 2010 at the University Hospitals of Leicester. The primary aim was to determine oncological outcomes and evaluate clinical outcomes with the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) and the American Academy of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (AOFAS) scores.Results30 patients, 16 males and 14 females with a mean age of 37 ± 15 years, who underwent surgery, were identified. There were 22 nodular PVNS and 8 diffuse PVNS. The diffuse PVNS was more likely to be in the hindfoot (75%, 6/8), of which 50% (3/6) had osteoarthritis at presentation. The localised PVNS was mostly located in the forefoot (91%, 20/22). None of the localised PVNS had a recurrence. The surgical recurrence rate in this series was similar to the pooled recurrence rate from the literature [12.5% (1/8) compared to 12.2% (6/49)]. The mean TESS and AOFAS scores were 86 and 78, respectively.ConclusionsDiffuse PVNS is more likely to occur in the hindfoot and nodular PVNS is more common in the forefoot. Aggressive synovectomy alone is an effective treatment for diffuse PVNS, with good oncological and clinical outcomes.