2001 Volume 25 Issue 3 Pages 431-434
(Case 1) A 29-year-oldfemale complained of right shoulder pain and a decrease of the range of motion (ROM) of her right shoulder in September 1996. She was diagnosed as adhesive capsulitis and treated conservatively by a local doctor, but her shoulder pain was increased. She visited our clinic in June 1997. CTs and MRIs showed a soft tissue tumor in the subscaplaris. According to the microscopic finding, the tumor was diagnosed as an extra-abdominal desmoid.
(Case 2) A 47-year-old-female complained of right shoulder pain and a limit of the ROM of her shoulder in March 1992. Although she was treated conservatively by a local doctor as adhesive capsulitis, the symptom was not resolved. She visited our clinic on May 1997. CTs and MRIs depicted a soft tissue tumor in the deltoid and teres minor. The pathological specimen indicated that her diagnosis was desmoid.
(Case 3) A 57-year-old-female complained of right shoulder pain and limit of the ROM of her shoulder in March 1996. She was diagnosed as adhesive capsulitis and treated conservatively by physical therapy at a local doctor, but her symptoms did not improve. So, she visited our clinic on February 2000. CTs and MRIs showed soft tissue tumor surrounded by the subscaplaris, teres minor, pectoralis major, lst-2nd rib and brachial plexus. Histopathological diagnosis was a desmoid.
(Conclusion) An extra-abdominal desmoid around the shoulder joint often creates shoulder pain and a decrease of the ROM of the shoulder. The symptom is similar to that of adhesive capsulitis. We must remember that desmoid tumor is one of differential diagnoses of adhesive capsulitis.
