Sclerosis and hyperostosis of the manubrium sterni

Seven females and one male with almost identical sclerotic and hyperostotic changes of the manubrium sterni are reported. The clinical course was prolonged and characterized by intermittent periods of exacerbation followed by improvement. Malignancies, bacterial inflammatory processes, and Paget disease, which were first suspected, could be excluded. Pustulosis-palmoplantaris was present in four patients and one had psoriasis vulgaris. None of the patients had sacroiliitis or peripheral joint changes, but the three youngest patients had sclerotic changes of other bones, including the lumbar spine, the pubic bone, and the clavicle. This may indicate that this is an adult disease analogous to "chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis", a disease mainly present in children and adolescents.