OSTEOPENIA IN CHILDREN - CT ASSESSMENT

PURPOSE: To assess the value of computed tomographic (CT) measurements of cortical bone in children with osteopenia. density of cortical bon e in the midshaft of the femur were measured with CT in 37 children wi th osteopenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty had osteoporosis in one l eg. nine had osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), and eight had vitamin D-res istant rickets. Comparisons were made between the CT measurements of t he normal and abnormal extremities and between patients with OI or ric kets and a group of 17 healthy, matched children. RESULTS: Sex, age, h eight, and weight did not influence cortical bone density; values were similar for the 17 control subjects. Children with osteoporosis and O I had reduced bone area but normal bone density. Compared with control subjects, patients with rickets had similar bone area but reduced bon e density (869 mg/cm(3) K2HPO4 +/- 79 [standard deviation] vs 1,132 mg /cm(3) K2HPO4 +/- 41). CONCLUSION: CT measurements of area and density of cortical bone aided the differentiation of the various disorders t hat cause osteopenia in children.