Two mnemonics to remember the causes of lucent/lytic skull lesions are:
- MEL TORME
- TROMMEL
- HELP ME TO HOLD
Mnemonic
MEL TORME
- M: metastasis
- E: eosinophilic granuloma
- L: lymphoma/Langerhans cell histiocytosis
- T: tuberculosis
- O: osteomyelitis
- R: radiation
- M: multiple myeloma
- E: epidermoid
TROMMEL
- T: tuberculosis
- R: radiation
- O: osteomyelitis
- M: multiple myeloma
- M: metastasis
- E: epidermoid
- L: lymphoma/Langerhans cell histiocytosis
For solitary lesions, the following mnemonic may be a useful memory aid:
HELP ME TO HOLD
- H: hemangioma
- E: eosinophilic granuloma
- L: leptomeningeal cyst
- P: Paget disease, post-operative appearances
- M: metastases, myeloma
- E: epidermoid
- T: tuberculosis
- O: osseous dermoid
- H: hyperparathyroidism
- O: osteomyelitis
- L: lambdoid defect
- D: fibrous dysplasia