 Case reportLessons learnt from the painful shoulder; a case series of malignant shoulder girdle tumours misdiagnosed as frozen shoulderGerald MY Quan1 , Derek Carr1 , Steven Schlicht2 , Gerard Powell1,3 and Peter FM Choong1,3  1Department of Orthopaedics, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Australia 2Department of Medical Imaging, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Australia 3Division of Surgical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Australia author email corresponding author email
International Seminars in Surgical Oncology 2005,
2:2doi:10.1186/1477-7800-2-2
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12 January 2005 |
Abstract
Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder is a common condition characterized by shoulder pain and stiffness. In patients in whom conservative measures have failed, more invasive interventions such as arthrographic or arthroscopic distension can be very effective in relieving symptoms and improving range of movement. However, absolute contraindications to these procedures include the presence of neoplasia around the shoulder girdle. We present five cases referred to our institution where the diagnosis of shoulder joint malignancy was delayed, following prolonged, ineffective treatment for frozen shoulder. These cases highlight the importance of careful review of the radiology and the need for reconsideration of the diagnosis in refractory "frozen shoulder". |