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Case Reports
. 2024 Jul 1;49(7):662-663.
doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000005268. Epub 2024 May 15.

Melorheostosis With Uniform Rib Thickening

Akane Ariga  1 , Yuki Funauchi  1 , Shingo Sato, Junko Kunieda  2 , Toshitaka Yoshii  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Melorheostosis With Uniform Rib Thickening

Akane Ariga et al. Clin Nucl Med. .

Abstract

A 16-year-old girl presented with left chest pain. Radiography and CT revealed localized abnormal calcification in the left sixth rib and sixth thoracic vertebra. Bone scintigraphy confirmed abnormal uptake of 99m Tc in the same area. An open biopsy of the sixth rib was performed, leading to the diagnosis of melorheostosis. This case showed uniformly thickened calcification throughout the rib, unlike the typical "dripping candle wax" radiography finding associated with melorheostosis. This case implies the importance of open biopsy for diagnostic confirmation in cases with atypical imaging features.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI grant number 22K16762.

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