Bone Lipoma of the Calcaneus: An Exceptional Cause of Talalgia

Introduction: Bone lipoma is a rare, benign, and usually silent tumor. We describe here a calcaneal intra osseous lipoma revealed by mechanic heel pain and discuss clinical, radiological and therapeutic features of this affection.

Case Report: A 45-year-old woman presented with chronic mechanic pain of the right heel for six months. There was no history of trauma and analgesics were not efficacy. Physical examination was normal. Laboratory investigations were within normal limits. Conventional radiographs of the right calcaneus showed a 1×1.5 cm sharply defined lytic lesion with sclerotic margins. Computerized tomography detected a central low-density (-117 H) calcaneal mass without complications. Surgical treatment was indicated under the patient insistence and histopathological features confirmed the diagnosis of intra osseous lipoma.

Conclusion: Intra osseous calcaneal lipoma is rare. Progress in imagery, especially computed tomography and magnetic resonance made easy the correct noninvasive diagnosis of this unusual lesion.

Keywords: intraosseous lipoma, calcaneus, talalgia, bone, tumor.