Acro-osteolysis: imaging, differential diagnosis, and disposition review

Images Clinical: Acro‐osteolysis: a complication of systemic sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis?

“…Hand radiographs (Figure 1B) revealed an erosion (white arrow), a distal tuft acro‐osteolysis (blue arrows), and a band acro‐osteolysis (red arrows). Acro‐osteolysis, the absorption of distal bony phalanges, can be radiologically classified as either distal tuft, band, or combined ( 1 ). Isolated band pattern occurs in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) exposure, and isolated distal‐tuft pattern can be appreciated commonly in SSc, Raynaud syndrome, thermal injury, dermatomyositis, and hyperparathyroidism.…”