Melorheostosis: A case report

Melorheostosis is a rare disease (0.9/million habitants), characterized by linear hyperostosis along the cortex bone. It can affect any bone, being more frequent in long bones. The lesions tend to be segmental and unilateral. The etiology remains unknown although several theories proposed over the past year (vascular, inflammatory processes, embryonic defects or genetic). Show no significant difference between sexes or heredity. Clinical manifestations are mainly pain, deformity and joint stiffness. The diagnosis is obtained by combining the clinical findings with imaging studies (mainly radiography with typical image in “candle wax”). There is no definitive or specific treatment, being always palliative. We describe a case of a patient of twenty-four years, followed in Orthopedic consultation since age eight, with a deformity of the right side of the body. X-rays showed hyperostosis of the bones of the limbs in the right side of the body (image in “candle wax”). The patient is in physical therapy program and has a positive response to analgesia with ibuprofen. © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved. Case Report Melorheostosis: A case report Bruno Pereira Alpoim,1,* Maria Elisa Gonçalves Ribeiro Rodrigues,1 António José Marques Félix,1 Pedro Miguel Dantas Costa Marques,1 Pedro Miguel Gomes Sá,1 Luís Fernando Nunes Pires Silva2 1Intern Physician at the Orthopedics and Traumatology Service of Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, Portugal. 2Assistant Physician at Hospital de Ortopedia e Traumatologia of Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, Portugal. The study was carried out at the Service of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, Portugal. doi: 10.1016/j.rboe.2012.07.007 Rev Bras Ortop. 2013;48(3):282-285 283