Enostosis of the spine

Five patients with single sclerotic vertebral body lesions had serial radiographs demonstrating no change in size of the radiodensities. Radionuclide bone imaging, obtained in 4 of these patients, showed no increased radioisotopic uptake in the areas in question. The absence of growth of the lesions on follow-up radiographs and the presence of negative bone scans support the diagnosis of enostoses of the spine. It is important for the radiologist to realize that benign sclerosis of a single vertebral body may simulate skeletal metastasis.