Osteopetrosis

Case contributed by Ian Bickle
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Cough for a month. Infection? No history of malignancy.

Patient Data

Age: 55 years
Gender: Male
x-ray

The whole of the visualized bony skeleton is sclerotic. The bones are diffusely thickened.

Heart size normal.

Lungs clear.

Normal mediastinal contours.

Case Discussion

A striking chest radiograph.

On initial inspection, one may consider the far commoner cause for diffusely sclerotic bones in an older male patient - bony metastatic disease from prostate carcinoma.  However, notice the thickness of the ribs and clavicles.

The GP revealed a known history of osteopetrosis (marble bone disease)

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