Atypical skeletal involvement in patients with Erdheim-Chester disease: CT imaging findings

To review retrospectively atypical bone findings from computed tomographic (CT) imaging in patients with Erdheim-Chester disease.

All 28 patients with Erdheim-Chester disease (13 men and 15 women; mean age, 45 years; range, 7-63 years) underwent chest-abdomen-pelvis CT. CT images were reviewed and analyzed for the various features of atypical bone lesions by two radiologists in consensus.

Twenty-one patients had atypical bone involvement. Radiologically, these atypical osseous lesions were categorized into three types: diffuse, nodular and patchy. Eleven (52%) of the 21 patients had spinal lesions, of which four (36%) had the diffuse type, eight (73%) had the nodular pattern, and six (55%) had the patchy pattern. Sixteen (76%) of the 21 patients had pelvic involvement, of which two (13%) were diffuse, nine (56%) were nodular and 11 were (69%) patchy. Ribs were involved in seven (33%) of the 21 patients, with the nodular pattern in one (14%) patient and the patchy type in six (86%) patients. Clavicle involvement was seen in nine (43%) of the 21 patients, of which the diffuse type was found in only one (11%) patient, the nodular type in six (67%) patients, the solitary patchy type in four (44%) patients. Sternum involvement was seen in 10 (48%) of the 21 patients and all were nodular.

This series provides a detailed description of atypical bone involvement in Erdheim-Chester disease which on CT displays three major patterns. Understanding these patterns may help increase the accuracy of diagnosis of this disease.