Matters arising
 | Pigmented villonodular synovitis |
| Author's reply |
Pigmented villonodular synovitis
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
I write with regard to the paper by Zuber and colleagues that purports to demonstrate a case of pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS).1
The pathology material presented by the authors, however, is
not diagnostic of PVNS, in that the cellular infiltrate did not demonstrate the large polyhedral cells
usually dubbed
histiocytesthat are requisite for the diagnosis of PVNS. Villi,
nodules, giant cells, and haemosiderin are not specific, and may be
seen in a variety of conditions other than PVNS. It is the histiocyte
that renders the pathology of PVNS unique and diagnostic. Indeed,
Lichtenstein has described PVNS as a `histiocytosis' of the synovial
membrane.2
In addition, the authors suggest that in their patient PVNS was found
to affect the second to fifth MCP joints. However, the diffuse form of
PVNS is nearly always monarticular; documented cases of polyarticular
(usually biarticular) involvement by PVNS are exceptionally rare, and
probably number less
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
Relevant Articles
- Combination DMARD therapy for rheumatoid arthritis: a step closer to the goal.
- J R O'Dell
Ann Rheum Dis 1996 55: 781-783.[PDF]
- Ulnar deviation is not always rheumatoid.
- M Zuber, C Braun, M Pfreundschuh, and W Püschel
Ann Rheum Dis 1996 55: 786-788.[PDF]
- Full Text
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Topic Collections
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
