title: Prenatal diagnosis of metatropic dysplasia: beware of the pseudo-bowing sign.
abstract: Metatropic dysplasia is a very rare form of osteochondrodysplasia with only one case of prenatal diagnosis described in the literature. It is characterized by marked shortening of the long bones with severe platyspondyly and dumbbell-shape metaphyses. We report a case of metatropic dysplasia that was diagnosed prenatally and describe the findings on US and CT. The pregnancy was terminated and the post-mortem radiographs are shown. The woman had been referred for short and bowed long bones. Severe metaphyseal enlargement was a misleading finding because it had been misinterpreted as limb bowing. Thus when abnormal curvature of the long bones is observed at prenatal US, attention should be drawn not only to the diaphyses but also to the metaphyses because severe metaphyseal enlargement might be responsible for pseudo-bowing.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garel
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhouib
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sileo
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cormier-Daire
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ducou le Pointe
mesh_terms: D001848:Bone Diseases, Developmental; D004392:Dwarfism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010009:Osteochondrodysplasias / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods