Intraosseous pneumatocyst of the scapula: A case report

Abstract

Intraosseous pneumatocysts are benign, gas-filled cystic structures of bone, typically asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on imaging. Their precise aetiology remains unclear, with the prevailing hypothesis being that they result from air accumulation within the bone due to a vacuum phenomenon, typically linked to an adjacent joint space or intervertebral disc. We report the case of a 37-year-old man with an incidental intraosseous pneumatocyst of the scapula, which was evaluated with CT and MRI. Using thin-slice CT, we are able to detect a tiny cortical breach suggestive of a communication between the lesion and the adjacent glenohumeral joint, lending support to the aforementioned aetiological hypothesis.

Keywords

• Pneumatocyst
• Intraosseous
• Scapula
• Benign bone lesions
• Computed tomography
• Magnetic resonance imaging