Sclerosing Osteomyelitis of Garré: A Clinico-Radiological Correlation

Abstract

Sclerosing osteomyelitis of Garré is a rare and very specific type of chronic osteomyelitis that mainly affects children and young adults. To date, there is no clear etiology for the disease. Clinical findings and laboratory results are usually unremarkable with commonly negative blood and tissue cultures. Cortical thickening and periosteal reaction are common radiological findings. Biopsy often shows chronic non-specific inflammatory changes. It is a well-described entity in the dental literature, but to the best of our knowledge, there are no distinctive diagnostic criteria for long bones. We report a case of sclerosing osteomyelitis of Garré in a young lady involving the right tibia, for which the diagnosis was made based on clinico-radiological correlation.

Keywords: chronic osteomyelitis; non-suppurative sclerosing osteomyelitis; ossifying periostitis; proliferative periostitis; sclerosing osteomyelitis of garré.

Figure 1. Radiograph of right tibia and fibula

A: Frontal projection, B: Lateral projection shows cortical thickening of the shaft of the right tibia (arrows) with a normal cortical outline of the right fibula and the rest of the visualized bones

Figure 2. Sagittal CT images of right tibia

A: Bone window, shows diaphyseal cortical thickening of the right tibia with solid, thick periosteal reaction (long arrow) and mild narrowing of marrow cavity (short arrow); B: Soft tissue window, shows associated subcutaneous tissue streakiness anteriorly (thick arrow) with no focal collection or intramuscular lesion