CASE REPORT

The causes of knee pain in athletes are manifold and must not be sportspecific. We present the case of a 22 year old professional golfer with recurrent knee pain over a period of two months and unclear etiology. Medical history and clinical examination did not reveal any decisive information. While the x-rays did not show any obvious abnormalities and lab results were within normal limits, the MRI scan showed a signal alteration of the distal third of the femur. The presumptive diagnosis of a Brodie abscess penetrating into the knee joint was made and was confirmed by surgery and histologic examination. Therapy consisted of curretage, embedding an antibiotic carrier and systemic antibiotic medication. The case stresses the importance of including rare, non-sportspecific lesions in the differential diagnosis of sports injuries.