Rare stress fracture: longitudinal fracture of the femur.

42-year-old man with pain in the posterolateral region of the right knee that began while he was running. Initially, it was diagnosed by magnetic resonance (MR) as a possible aggressive process (osteosarcoma or Ewing's sarcoma) but with computed tomography it was noted a cortical hypodense linear longitudinal image with a continuous, homogeneous and solid periosteal reaction without clear soft tissue mass that in this patient suggest a longitudinal distal femoral fatigue stress fracture. This type of fracture at this location is very rare. Stress fractures are entities that can be confused with an agressive process. MR iscurrently the most sensitive and specific imaging method for its diagnosis.