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Updated: May 26, 2026

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Magnetic resonance imaging appearance of scurvy with gelatinous bone marrow transformation
Christopher M Brennan1, Kristen A Atkins, Colleen H Druzgal
1Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Abstract:
Scurvy is a lethal but treatable disease that is rare in industrialized countries. Caused by vitamin C deficiency, it is most prevalent in persons of low socioeconomic status and smokers. Low levels of circulating vitamin C result in poor collagen fiber formation that, in turn, leads to demineralized bones, microfractures, and poor healing. Here we report a case of scurvy in a 5-year-old boy with normal radiographs in whom initial concern for leukemia based upon magnetic resonance imaging and clinical presentation led to a bone marrow biopsy revealing gelatinous transformation.
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