A true permeative process of bone, or moth-eaten appearance in bone, describes multiple small endosteal lucent lesions or holes, often with poorly defined margins, with sparing of the cortex. It is a bone marrow process.
The term 'moth-eaten' describes the pattern of destruction observed in fabric that has been eaten by moth larvae.
The most common pathologies that may manifest with a permeative appearance include 1:
- multiple myeloma
- primary bone lymphoma
- Ewing sarcoma
- infection
- eosinophilic granuloma
- malignant fibrous histiocytoma
- metastases, especially Burkitt lymphoma, mycosis fungoides 2
Mnemonic: FIRE MD
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