Open AccessPersistent cutaneous ulcers after Yttrium‐90 synovectomy, an unusual complication: two case reports and a review of the literature
Author(s) -
GarcíaColmenero Lidia,
MartinEzquerra Gemma,
Monfort Jordi,
Pujol Ramon M
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international wound journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1742-481X
pISSN - 1742-4801
DOI - 10.1111/iwj.12636
Subject(s) - medicine , synovectomy , complication , surgery , synovitis , radiation therapy , dermatology , osteoarthritis , arthritis , rheumatoid arthritis , pathology , alternative medicine
Development of persistent deep cutaneous ulceration is a rare and serious complication of radiosynovectomy, an extended procedure used in the treatment of chronic synovitis. Cutaneous radiation necrosis is a rare complication of synovectomy, probably as a result of radiocolloid para‐articular injection. This rare phenomenon should be suspected when an ulcer adjacent to an articulation appears several days or even months after a radiation synovectomy. It can turn into a challenging diagnosis for rheumatologists, orthopaedists and dermatologists, especially in those cases with a late development of the skin lesions. Recognition of this potential side effect is important in order to establish a proper therapeutic strategy and avoid unnecessary treatments. Surgical excision appears to be the treatment of choice. We report two patients with knee osteoarthritis treated with intra‐articular injection of Yttrium‐90 who developed persistent cutaneous ulcers secondary to radiation necrosis.