Unraveling melorheostosis: insights into clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment

Melorheostosis is a rare bone disease characterized by abundant bone formation with a characteristic radiographic appearance that resembles "dripping candle wax." Recent data have shown that the majority of cases are due to somatic activating mutations in bone. Melorheostosis has several clinical and radiographic presentations, which are now known to be caused by different somatic mutations such as MAP2K1, SMAD3, KRAS, and LEMD3. This review provides a comprehensive look at the clinical features, diagnostic approaches, and current treatment options for melorheostosis, alongside future research directions aimed at improving patient outcomes.