Primary chronic sclerosing (Garre's) osteomyelitis in children

Three children with unifocal nonpyogenic inflammatory bony lesions with a p rolonged, fluctuating course are reported. The lesions were located at the metaphyseal region of long bones. There was progressive sclerosis and hyper ostosis in the tibia or femur, such as the changes described in Garre's ost eomyelitis. No pus was released by exploration of the lesions. Tissue and b lood cultures were negative. The histology was typical of chronic osteomyel itis: the symptoms returned intermittently over several years, together wit h the development of sclerosis but without disturbance of bone growth. It i s not clear whether Garre's chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis is a different entity from chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis.