Condensing osteitis of the clavicle in childhood: A rare sclerotic bone lesion

Abstract

Seven children and adolescents with sclerotic and periosteal alterations of the clavicle are reported, two of them in detail. Malignancies and bacterial inflammatory processes, which were first suspected, could be excluded. Clinical and radiographic features as well as differential diagnosis are discussed, as is the pertinent literature. The etiology of this uncommon bone lesion, which is described under different names, could not be clarified.

Imaging of Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis

“…Clavicular CRMO is unique compared with the other common sites of disease in CRMO, in that hematogenous osteomyelitis of the clavicle is extremely uncommon. CRMO of the clavicle has been referred to by several different names, including recurrent hyperostosis of the clavicle, sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis, idiopathic cortical hyperostosis, and condensing osteitis of the clavicle (56,57). There seems to be a higher prevalence of clavicular disease in CRMO patients with palmoplantar pustulosis and acne fulminans (14).…”

Chronic recurrent osteomyelitis with clavicular involvement in children: diagnostic value of different imaging techniques and therapy with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

“…There are extensive data on standard X-ray and bone scan examinations of the various bone lesions of CRMO/SAPHO syndrome including the clavicular lesions [2,32]. However, there is only limited data on modern imaging including CT and MRI.…”

“…Chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis of the clavicle has been demonstrated to be a manifestation of CRMO [4,20]. There is a multitude of labels for this disease:``chronic sclerosing osteomyelitis'' [20],``condensing osteitis'' [2,27],``sclerosis and hyperostosis'' [20] and``pustulotic arthroosteitis'' [17]. Histologically, there are subperiosteal bone formation, signs of chronic inammation with in®ltration of leucocytes, in very early lesions granulocytes, later on mainly lymphocytes or monocytes [3,19,34].…”

Noninflammatory sclerosis of the sternal end of the clavicle: a follow-up study and review of the literature

“…The term "condensing osteitis of the clavicle" is unfortunate because inflammation is not a component of the disease, and inflammatory changes have also been described under this name [33,34]. The term "caudal polnecrosis" has been proposed [35], but "noninflammatory" or "post-traumatic clavicular sclerosis" may be more appropriate.…”