Pathological vertebral fracture
Diagnosis certain
Updates to Case Attributes
Age
changed from 53 years to 55 years.
Body
was changed:
Pathological fractures occur when normal stresses cause abnormal bones to fracture, whether affected by malignancy, infection or metabolic bone disease.
MajorityThe majority of bone metastasis affectaffects the axial skeleton in a pattern reflecting the distribution of red marrow. CT signs of malignant vertebral compression fractures include the destruction of cortical or cancellous bone, or the pedicle and an associated epidural or focal paravertebral soft-tissue mass.
Remember that although CT delineates well the osseous integrity, lesions that do not cause significant bone destruction may be missed on CT. MRI better evaluates for these occult lesions and the central canal involvement.
Case co-author: Rehana Jaffer, MD, FRCPC
-<p>Pathological fractures occur when normal stresses cause abnormal bones to fracture, whether affected by malignancy, infection or metabolic bone disease. </p><p>Majority of bone metastasis affect the axial skeleton in a pattern reflecting the distribution of red marrow. CT signs of malignant vertebral compression fractures include destruction of cortical or cancellous bone, or the pedicle and an associated epidural or focal paravertebral soft-tissue mass.</p><p>Remember that although CT delineates well the osseous integrity, lesions that do not cause significant bone destruction may be missed on CT. MRI better evaluates for these occult lesions and the central canal involvement.</p><p><em><strong>Case co-author: Rehana Jaffer, MD, FRCPC</strong></em></p>- +<p>Pathological fractures occur when normal stresses cause abnormal bones to fracture, whether affected by malignancy, infection or metabolic bone disease. </p><p>The majority of bone metastasis affects the axial skeleton in a pattern reflecting the distribution of red marrow. CT signs of malignant vertebral compression fractures include the destruction of cortical or cancellous bone, or the pedicle and an associated epidural or focal paravertebral soft-tissue mass.</p><p>Remember that although CT delineates well the osseous integrity, lesions that do not cause significant bone destruction may be missed on CT. MRI better evaluates for these occult lesions and the central canal involvement.</p><p>Case co-author: Rehana Jaffer, MD, FRCPC</p>