Presentation
Left hip pain.
Patient Data
Left femoral focal periphyseal oedema signal.
Case Discussion
On clinical follow-up 1 month later, the patient reported resolution of the hip pain.
Focal periphyseal oedema (FOPE zone) on MRI of the adolescents is a potentially painful manifestation of the physiologic physeal fusion in the immature skeleton of the adolescents provoked by the stress of physeal closure as they approach fusion.
MR features include focal discontinuity of the growth plate representing the first location of bone fusion of the metaphysis and epiphysis. The transphyseal bone trabecular around these focal areas has reduced pliability and reacts to physiological stress in adolescents by provoking periphyseal oedema signal. Usually, there's resolution of the patient's pain and MRI periphyseal oedema on follow-up studies.