title: Familial vanishing limbs: four generations of idiopathic multicentric osteolysis.
abstract: A family is described which has exhibited in four generations a bizarre form of arthritis mutilans and osteolysis, the features of which seem to fit most closely with a diagnosis of hereditary multicentric osteolysis, a subgroup of idiopathic multicentric osteolysis. The differential diagnosis of arthritis mutilans associated with osteolysis is discussed; this includes a wide variety of disorders ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to rare conditions such as the Winchester syndrome.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000235:genetics*; D004550:Elbow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010015:Osteolysis, Essential / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics*; D011859:Radiography; D014953:Wrist / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging