Spectrum of Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis in a Belgian Cohort of Twenty-Five Children: Clinical Presentation, Imaging, Treatment and Outcome

Abstract

ObjectiveTo document clinical characteristics of paediatric patients diagnosed with Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis (CRMO). To collect data on the disease's imaging, outcome and management. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed clinical characteristics, radiological data and treatment in paediatric CRMO patients, followed at our institution paediatric rheumatology department. ResultsOf the twenty-five patients enrolled, bone pain was the leading symptom (24/25 patients). On imaging, 148 lesions were identified with an average of 5.9 lesions per patient. The most common sites involved were the vertebrae (37%) and lower limbs (31%), followed by the pelvis (10%) and clavicles (9%). Our data confirm the known propensity for clavicle involvement, reaching 40% (10/25) of our patients on imaging, and 9/25 based on the pain symptoms. In our cohort, conventional radiographs showed characteristic lesions of