CHRONIC RECURRENT MULTIFOCAL OSTEOMYELITIS (CRMO) OF PELVIS AND SPINE IN A PAEDIATRIC PATIENT – A CASE REPORT

Authors:

Stjepan Frkanec, Tea Štrbac, Alenka Gagro, Ana Tripalo Batoš, Tomislav Đapić

Summary

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO), which is the most serious type of chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO), is a rare chronic noninfectious auto-inflammatory disease characterized by multiple sites of painful bone inflammation. Its etiology and pathophysiology is still unclear. The clinical presentation of CRMO is discerned by bone pain with typical inflammation signs and elevated inflammation parameters. Lytic and sclerotic bone lesions can be found on X-ray scans, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but magnetic resonance imaging represents a more sensitive method of choice for determining the prognosis and stage of the disease. CRMO treatment methods include the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), corticosteroids, bisphosphonates and biological therapy. In 2019, a 13-year-old boy was admitted at the University Hospital Center
Zagreb (UHC Zagreb). After several years of disease remissions and exacerbations with constant moderate pain, the correct diagnosis has been ascertained through the use of imaging methods, clinical presentation, biopsy and the exclusion of other diagnoses, The patient was monitored by a paediatric rheumatologist, and he has remained in remission following his treatment with biological therapy. CRMO should be suspected in a child with chronic and recurrent bone pain, elevated inflammatory parameters, osteolytic and osteosclerotic lesions found on X-ray, with the addition of visible bone oedema detected through MRI and the exclusion of infectious or malignant etiology. The process of establishing proper diagnoses puts an end to the unnecessary diagnostic procedures and inadequate therapy and reduces the occurrence of disease complications. This case report could potentially prove to be helpful in establishing a proper diagnosis and treatment of patients with CRMO, but new studies about this rare and important disease would help shed some light on this topic and provide more information about this disease.

Sažetak
Kronični rekurentni multifokalni osteomijelitis (KRMO) koji je najteži oblik kroničnog nebakterijskog osteomijelitisa (KNO) rijetka je kronična neinfektivna autoinflamatorna bolest koju karakteriziraju višestruka mjesta upale kostiju. Etiologija i patofiziologija bolesti još uvijek je nejasna. Klinički dijagnoza KRMO-a razabire se po boli u kostima i prisutnosti tipičnih znakova upale uz povišenje parametara upale. Litičke i sklerotične lezije kostiju mogu se naći na rendgenskim snimkama, pregledu kompjuteriziranom tomografijom i nuklearnoj magnetskoj rezonanciji (NMR), a za proširenost i fazu bolesti magnetska rezonancija predstavlja osjetljiviju metodu izbora. Bolest se liječi različitim protuupalnim lijekovima, kao što su nesteroidni antireumatici (NSAR), glukokortikoidi, bisfosfonati i biološki lijekovi. Dječak star 13 godina primljen je 2019. godine u Klinički bolnički centar Zagreb (KBC Zagreb). Nakon višegodišnjih remisija i egzacerbacija bolesti uz stalnu umjerenu bol, slikovnim dijagnostičkim metodama, kliničkom slikom, biopsijom i isključenjem drugih dijagnoza, postavljena je dijagnoza KRMO. Bolesnik je pod nadzorom dječjeg reumatologa i nakon biološke terapije ima zadovoljavajuću remisiju bolesti. Na KRMO treba posumnjati u djeteta s kroničnim i ponavljajućim bolovima u kostima, povišenjem upalnih parametara, osteolitičkim i sklerotičkim lezijama na rentgenskoj (RTG) snimci, uz vidljiv koštani edem na NMR-u i isključenom infektivnom ili malignom etiologijom. Postavljanjem ispravne dijagnoze prekidaju se nepotrebni dijagnostički postupci i neadekvatna terapija te se smanjuju komplikacije bolesti. Ovaj prikaz slučaja mogao bi biti koristan u dijagnosticiranju i liječenju bolesnika s KRMO-om. Nova istraživanja o ovoj rijetkoj, ali važnoj bolesti pomogla bi nam da saznamo više informacija o ovoj bolesti.

Vol.: Reumatizam 2023;70(1):24–33

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