Hyperostosis and osteitis in Sapho syndrome: conservative or surgical treatment

Sapho syndrome is characterized by synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis. It is a rare disease, with a benign prognosis; at the osteoarticular level it is painful and is characterized by episodes of arthritis of an intermittent and at times disabling nature. The etiopathogenesis of Sapho syndrome is still not clearly defined: some authors suggest a probable correlation with an infective agent, others instead include Sapho among seronegative spondylites. The treatment of symptomatic skeletal injuries (hyperostosis, osteitis) is controversial and not classified. In the rare cases reported in the literature surgical treatment has not proven to be more effective than conservative treatment. The authors report the poor evolution of the disease in a patient affected with Sapho syndrome who came to our observation after being submitted to medullary decompression of the femoral diaphysis because of the presence of metaphyseal hyperostosis of the left femur.