Post-fracture osteolysis of the pubic bone simulating a malignancy: report of a case.
Post-fracture osteolysis of the pubic bone is rare. We report a case of a 70-year-old woman with osteoporosis and a history of radiation therapy 2 years earlier. At presentation, she was found to have a bilateral sacral fracture and fractures of both pubic rami on one side. The pain persisted, and follow-up radiographs showed osteolysis of the pubic rami suggestive of metastatic disease. The development of a bony callus within 8 months established the diagnosis of benign osteolysis. About 50 cases of osteolysis at fracture sites have been reported to date, of which about a dozen occurred after radiation therapy. All the patients were elderly women with post-menopausal osteoporosis. Radiation therapy probably further increases the risk in this setting. The possibility of osteolysis at fracture sites in patients with osteoporosis should be borne in mind to avoid unnecessary and burdensome investigations that are costly and cause undue anxiety to the patients. Rest is the only effective treatment.
Botton
Estelle
E
Oncology Department, Brest Teaching Hospital, Brest, France.
Saraux
Alain
A
Malhaire
Jean-Pierre
JP
Mansourbakht
Touraj
T
Jousse
Sandrine
S
Le Goff
Paul
P
Labat
Jean-Paul
JP
D000368:Aged; D002146:Bony Callus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D010014:Osteolysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D010388:Pelvis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011630:Pubic Bone / Q000293:injuries*; D011859:Radiography; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012307:Risk Factors; D012447:Sacrum / Q000293:injuries; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000090123:Viperin Protein
D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C406152:Rsad2 protein, rat; D000090123:Viperin Protein