Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis in the Hand

The first description of pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) was by Chassaignac in 1852 [1]. However the actual term PVNS was not introduced into the literature until 1941 by Jaffe, Lichtenstein and Sutro [2]. PVNS is an idiopathic, benign, hyperplastic proliferation of the synovium, which occurs within joints with characteristic pigmentation from haemosiderin. A focal extra-articular form commonly affects the hands, possibly arising from the tendon sheath, and is called a giant cell tumour of the tendon sheath (GCTTS). There are many similarities in the histology between these two conditions, although the clinical presentation can be different. Other terms used are pigmented villonodular bursitis or tenosynovitis, nodular tenosynovitis, fibrous xanthoma, sclerosing haemangioma and benign synovioma. The use of several terms can sometimes be misleading.