Post-traumatic cyst-like lesion of cortical bone in children

• Published in: Skeletal radiology Vol. 48; no. 1; pp. 167 - 174
• Main Authors: Freire, Gonçalo, Cruz, Rita, Valentim, Maria Helena, Marques, Teresa Granate, Afonso, P. Diana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.01.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bone lesions; Bone marrow; Case Report; Children; Compression; Computed tomography; Cortical bone; Cysts; Feature recognition; Fractures; Imaging; Lesions; Literature reviews; Magnetic resonance imaging; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Nuclear Medicine; Orthopedics; Pathology; Radiographs; Radiography; Radiology; Radius; Toruses; CT; Conventional radiography; Cyst-like lesions; MRI; Trauma
• ISSN: 0364-2348; 1432-2161; 1432-2161
• DOI: 10.1007/s00256-018-2993-6

Post-traumatic cyst-like lesions are an infrequent complication of fractures in children. To our knowledge, no more than 30 cases have been reported in the English-language literature. They most commonly affect the distal radius following a greenstick or torus fracture. These cortical defects are often asymptomatic, non-expansile, and typically resolve spontaneously in 1–3 years. They appear proximal to the compression site and are usually identified 2–4 months after a minor fracture. These lesions have a distinct appearance on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with intralesional fatty marrow, which may help to differentiate it from other bone lesions. We review the literature and present 3 more cases studied with plain radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and MRI. Post-traumatic cyst-like lesions require no treatment, and therefore recognition of its typical features is crucial to prevent unnecessary invasive procedures.