Dear Friends,
welcome to the next season of the blog!
During September I will show cases that I have seen this summer. Today’s radiograph belong to a 23-year-old woman who couldn’t elevate her left arm more than twenty degrees.
What do you see?
Come back on Friday to see the answer!
Click here to see the answer
Findings: AP radiograph of the left shoulder shows numerous rounded calcifications projected over the scapula and humeral head (A, circle). The first diagnosis that comes to mind is osteopoikilosis but, given the patient’s symptoms, chondromatosis of the shoulder should be considered.
The dilemma is easily solved by taking a comparison view of the contralateral shoulder, which shows identical findings (B and C, circles).
The patient’s mother was a physician and very anxious. She insisted in taking a radiograph of the pelvis, which again shows the typical findings of osteopoikilosis
(D, circles).
Final diagnosis: unsuspected osteopoikilosis
Congratulations to Zehra who was the first to suggest the correct diagnosis.
Teaching point: remember the usefulness of comparison films in MSK imaging
P. S. This a warm-up case to facilitate your return to the Diploma cases. Next week will be more difficult!