A 17-year-old girl was evaluated at the Roger Williams General Hospital, Providence, RI, because of multiple injuries received during an assault. Roentgenograms of her pelvis and long bones showed no evidence of fractures or dislocations (Fig 1). However, an unusual pattern was noted in the bones.
She previously had been well, without complaints of limb or bone pain, joint swelling or stiffness. Her parents, both 40 years old, were unrelated by birth and came from mixed ethnic backgrounds. Pelvic roentgenograms of her father (Fig 2) and her 13-year-old brother (Fig 3) showed similar skeletal patterns, but her sister and mother were unaffected.
Denouement and Discussion
Osteopoikilosis: Familial Documentation
Osteopoikilosis (spotted bones) is a rare, clinically harmless condition classified in the orthopedic and pathology literature1 as an anomaly of bone. It has been reported about 150 times in series published in both the radiologic and orthopedic literature.1,2The condition, although first