Brown tumor diagnosed three years after parathyroidectomy in a patient with nail-patella syndrome: A case report

We report a 48-year-old Japanese man with a brown tumor of the right distal tibia. At the age of 25 years, hemodialysis was initiated due to nail-patella syndrome. Severe secondary hyperparathyroidism and osteoporosis progressed over time, so parathyroidectomy was performed at age 45. Spontaneous fracture of the right distal tibia occurred suddenly at age 48. Imaging studies revealed a bone tumor-like lesion and surgery was performed. The resected specimen was a brown mass consisting of multinucleated giant cells on a fibrous tissue background, and these findings were consistent with a diagnosis of brown tumor. Immunohistochemistry revealed that multinucleated giant cells near areas of bone matrix were positive for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and cathepsin K, but the majority of the giant cells in the lesion were negative for these markers. Even after parathyroidectomy, brown tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis of bone tumor-like lesions in patients on long-term dialysis. This case suggests that osteoclast activation may not contribute to development of brown tumors, although these lesions are generally considered to arise from subperiosteal bone resorption related to osteoclast overactivity in patients with hyperparathyroidism.