title: Intralesional methylprednisolone for painful solitary eosinophilic granuloma of the appendicular skeleton in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous case reports and small series have reported on the treatment of eosinophilic granuloma of bone. We present our long experience in a large group of children and teenagers with symptomatic eosinophilic granuloma of the appendicular skeleton to evaluate clinical and imaging outcome after methylprednisolone injection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six patients with symptomatic solitary eosinophilic granuloma of the appendicular skeleton treated by incisional or percutaneous biopsy and methylprednisolone injection were retrospectively studied. There were 38 boys and 28 girls (mean age, 7.2 y). The mean follow-up was 10.7 years (median, 11.2 y; range, 3 to 15 y). All patients presented with symptomatic lesions including pain or tenderness and fever and had 1 intralesional injection of methylprednisolone acetate after biopsy: 52 patients had incisional biopsy and 14 patients had percutaneous computed tomography-guided biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete resolution of symptoms was observed in 58 patients (92%) at 48 to 72 hours (50 patients) and in 7 days (8 patients) after the procedure. Complete imaging reconstitution of bone was observed in 60 patients (95.2%) at 1 to 2 years after the procedure. No patient had recurrence. Multifocal disease was diagnosed in 7 patients (11%) at 3 months to 6 years. Complications occurred in 2 patients: one patient with a clavicular lesion had a pathologic fracture after open direct methylprednisolone injection and the second patient developed trochanteric bursitis after computed tomography-guided methylprednisolone injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biopsy and direct intralesional methylprednisolone injection is safe for symptomatic eosinophilic granulomas of the appendicular skeleton in children with effective clinical and imaging resolution of the lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Andreas F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Mavrogenis
authors.forename: Caterina Novella
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Abati
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosco
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D004803:Eosinophilic Granuloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D008775:Methylprednisolone