STERNOCOSTOCLAVICULAR HYPEROSTOSIS IN CHILDREN - A REPORT OF 8 CASES

OBJECTIVE. The aim of this paper is to clarify the clinical and radiol ogic features of sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis by reviewing eight previously unpublished cases in children, identifying its similaritie s to chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis and the differences be tween the pediatric and adult population affected with sternocostoclav icular hyperostosis. Appropriate imaging workup will obviate unnecessa ry diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We in vestigated the clinical and imaging features of sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis in eight children (seven girls and one boy) and compared those features with the characteristic features of chronic recurrent m ultifocal osteomyelitis and sclerosing Garre's osteomyelitis to determ ine if sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis can justifiably be classifie d as a separate entity. All patients underwent one or more bone biopsi es to determine the cause of the bone lesion(s). RESULTS. Seven of the eight patients had involvement of the clavicle, Five of the eight pat ients had associated distant involvement in the pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, talus, or sacroiliac joints. Except for predominant localizati on in the anterior chest wall, the symptoms, the clinical and imaging features, and the results of biopsy and histopathologic examination re semble those of chronic recurrent nonspecific sclerosing osteomyelitis , No skin lesion and no causative organism was found in any of the cas es. CONCLUSION. Sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis is a descriptive te rm used to designate a form of chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis. Its o nly distinctive feature is localization on one or more sites of the an terior chest wall.