title: Evaluation of chronic recurrent multifocal osteitis in children by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a non-infectious inflammatory bone disease of unknown origin. The extension of CRMO is currently evaluated with bone scintigraphy. The objectives of our study are to describe the results of the non-invasive whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB MRI) procedure in children with CRMO, and to discuss the interest of WB MRI in CRMO's follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective chart review of children followed for CRMO in the French center for auto-inflammatory disorders, selecting those who had a WB MRI at diagnosis and/or during follow-up. Clinical, biological, pathological and imaging findings were depicted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were six girls and three boys, aged 8 to 14 years. All had multiple painful localizations with increased inflammatory markers, except one. The most frequent sites involved on WB MRI were the pelvis, the femurs and the tibias. We also described extra-osseous lesions (intra-articular effusion, myositis) and for the first time polyseritis that could not be caught by X-rays or scintigraphy. Comparison with scintigraphy in three patients showed that spinal, pelvic and femoral lesions were better seen with WB MRI. WB MRI at 12 months follow-up was available in five patients, showing a clear improvement in four of them. Surprisingly, the last patient had a clinical improvement with worsening lesions on WB MRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The WB MRI may contribute to the diagnosis and facilitate the follow-up of children with CRMO. This non-invasive, non-irradiating procedure will also allow depicting more precisely the natural history of bone and extra-osseous lesions in CRMO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Rheumatology, National reference center for auto-inflammatory disorders, CeRéMAI, Bicêtre-hôpitaux universitaires Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guérin-Pfyffer
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guillaume-Czitrom
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tammam
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Koné-Paut
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010000:Osteitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013977:Tibia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods*