A 5-year-old male patient presented with fever, cough and expectoration. Chest x-rays showed consolidation in the left middle and lower lung zones initially. Follow up x-rays 4 days later revealed no lung abnormalities but detected an expansile bony lesion of the right 3rd rib. Differential diagnoses for expansile rib lesions in pediatric patients were provided, including both benign conditions like fibrous dysplasia, aneurysmal bone cyst, and neurofibromatosis, as well as malignant conditions such as Ewing sarcoma. Proper diagnosis and timely treatment of rib lesions are important given the risk of malignancy.
3. *X-Ray chest PA view reveals:
Average cardio-thoracic ratio in its
transverse diameter.
Left middle and lower lung zone
semi-homogeous opacity with air
bronchogam denoting
consolidation.
Free both costo-phrenic angles.
Normal both copula levels.
Normal bony cage.
5. *X-Ray chest PA view reveals:
Average cardio-thoracic ratio in its
transverse diameter.
No focal pulmonary lesion could be
detected.
Expansile bony lesion of the right 3rd rib
anteriorly, no calcification, cortical
destruction, periosteal reaction or soft
tissue component, however, CT and bone
survey are recommended for further
characterization and to reveal if other
bony lesions exist.
Free both costophrenic angles.
Normal both copula levels.
6. *X-Ray chest PA view reveals:
Average cardio-thoracic ratio in its
transverse diameter.
No focal pulmonary lesion could be
detected.
Expansile bony lesion of the right 3rd rib
anteriorly, no sclerosis, calcification,
cortical destruction, periosteal reaction
or soft tissue component, however, CT
and bone survey are recommended for
further characterization and to reveal if
other bony lesions exist.
Free both costophrenic angles.
Normal both copula levels.
7. Expansile Rib Lesions in pediatric age group:
Fibrous dysplasia
Lymphangioma.
Aneurysmal bone cyst
Simple bone cyst.
Neurofibromatosis
Hyperparathyroidism (brown tumors).
Eosinophilic granuloma
Enchondroma.
Osteochondroma
Xanthogranuloma
Primary malignancy Ewing sarcoma - Askin tumor Osteogenic
sarcoma, Osseous angiosarcoma.
Secondary malignancy Mets ( e.g. metastatic neuroblastoma,
lymphoma and Wilms tumour).
8. Rib tumors are rare entities in the pediatric
population. However, a significant number of
rib lesions are malignant. Therefore, proper
diagnosis and expeditious treatment are
critical.
9. Fibrous Dysplasia
Fibrous dysplasia is a benign
condition in which there is
proliferation of fibrous tissues in
the bones.
Involvement may be monostotic or
polyostotic. Fibrous dysplasia is
the most common cause of a
benign expansile lesion of the
ribs, and the ribs are one of the
most common sites of
monostotic involvement .
The abnormal bone foci are
classically lucent with a ground-
glass matrix; bone expansion,
cortical thinning, and modeling
deformity are common.
10. Lymphangioma
Lymphangiomatosis is a rare and
idiopathic disease of children and
adolescents that is thought to
represent a malformation of
lymphatic vessels.
The abnormal lymphatic vessels can be
found diffusely in parenchymal
viscera and bones.
Rib lymphangiomas appear as well-
defined areas of lucency that can
coalesce and replace large parts of
the affected bone.
Lymphangiomatosis of the ribs has
been associated with chylothorax.
Gorham disease is the term used when
one or more bones become replaced
by abnormal lymphatic vessels.
11. Aneurysmal bone cyst
Aneurvsmal bone cyst is thought to be
a local circulatory phenomenon producing
an engorged vascular bed expanding and
destroying the affected bone or bones.
Aneurysmal bone cyst is usually found
in the metaphyseal end of long bones, but
has been known to occur almost anywhere
throughout the body.
It is most prevalent in the second decade of life.
The roentgenographic picture is usually one of an
eccentrically located, well circumscribed
cystic appearing lesion involving bone. There
is often expansion into the adjacent soft
tissues with the process well demarcated
by a thin layer of subperiosteal new bone.
If untreated, marked destruction and progression
to adjacent bone structures can be seen
resembling malignant lesions.
CT and MRI reveal characteristic fluid-fluid levels.
12. Neurofibromatosis
NeurofibromatosisPeripheral neural
tumors are the hallmark of
neurofibromatosis, an autosomal
dominant neurocutaneous syndrome.
The ribs are slender; they may be twisted,
deformed, and separated by
neurofibromas that arise from the
intercostal nerves .
The underlying mesenchymal abnormality in
neurofibromatosis results in modeling
deformity and even bizarre appearance
of the ribs.
Intercostal neuromas can cause notching of
the inferior surface.
Sphenoid dysplasia, modeling deformity of
the long bones, and posterior vertebral
body scalloping are associated findings.
13. Hyperparathyroidism
Hyperparathyroidism occurs most commonly secondarily to chronic renal failure.
Hyperparathyroidism results in subperiosteal and endosteal bone resorption.
Brown tumors are a rare manifestation of hyperparathyroidism, in which well-defined
lucent areas of lysis occur without adjacent reactive bone formation.
Progressive loss of bone matrix and demineralization can lead to fractures and
progressive bone deformity .
Renal osteodystrophy can regress with correction of azotemia.
14. Langerhans cell histiocytosis
Langerhans cell histiocytosis is
thought to be associated with
immune dysfunction.
Although most bone lesions are
asymptomatic, some may
manifest with a painful soft-
tissue mass.
The appearance is variable:
A well-defined area of lucency in
the bone is a classic finding;
expansile and poorly defined
lesions can appear aggressive.
The ribs are commonly involved,
and multiple bone involvement is
frequent.
15. Enchondromatosis
Enchondromatosis are a group of disorders
characterized by the presence of
medullary cartilaginous bone tumors,
which are further subdivided by the
presence of hemangiomas (Maffucci
syndrome) or their absence (Ollier
disease).
Rib lesions are common in
enchondromatosis.
Inheritance is sporadic.
At radiography, enchondromas appear as
areas of lucency in the bones,
occasionally with areas of calcification in
the cartilaginous matrix. Modeling
deformity is not uncommon. The
appearance is similar to that of fibrous
dysplasia. Enchondromas are associated
with a 25% prevalence of malignant
degeneration.
16. Osteochondroma
Osteochondroma.Exostoses are benign bony
excrescences with a cartilage cap.
They can be solitary or associated with multiple
hereditary exostoses.
It has been estimated that rib osteochondromas
arise in almost 50% of patients with multiple
hereditary exostoses .
Those rib exostoses that project externally are
palpable on the chest wall. Internal exostoses
can be asymptomatic; hemothorax has been
reported, likely caused by trauma to the
adjacent lung.
Osteochondromas can mimic pulmonary nodules;
calcified osteochondromas resemble
granulomas.
CT is most helpful in determining the nature of
these
bone growths .
17. Xanthogranuloma
Xanthogranulomas are rare benign tumors
that occur in the ribs and other flat
bones.
They are invariably solitary lesions and are
almost twice as common in male
patients.
The lesions are well defined with reactive
bone or a sclerotic margin.
They can be expansile and lytic.
The tumor is histiocyte-like and consists of
benign giant cells, cholesterol clefts, and
foam cells.
Xanthogranulomas may be the residua of
previous fibrous dysplasia or Langerhans
cell histiocytosis.
The tumor has an excellent prognosis, and
complete or partial removal is curative.
18. Ewing Sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a very aggressive malignant
tumor that occurs in adolescents and young
adults.
This is the most common malignant tumor that
affects the ribs of children and adolescents.
Tumors infiltrate the bone in a permeative,
moth-eaten pattern.
Although most tumors are lytic, sclerotic tumors
do occur.
Approximately one-third of costal Ewing
sarcomas are expansile.
Most Ewing sarcomas have an associated soft-
tissue mass that is significantly larger than
the intraosseous tumor.
Extensive periosteal reaction is not a major
feature of primary Ewing sarcoma of the rib.
The differential diagnosis includes osteomyelitis,
Langerhans cell histiocytosis, osteosarcoma,
primitive neuroectodermal tumor, metastatic
neuroblastoma, and lymphoma.
19. Askin tumor
Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor
(Askin tumor) is a rare malignant
tumor that arises from the chest
wall, occasionally originating in a
rib.
This tumor very closely resembles
Ewing sarcoma, and differentiation
depends on detection of
neurosecretory granules at electron
microscopy.
Rib destruction occurs in 25%63% of
patients. Pleural extension is
common and results in malignant
effusion.
20. *X-Ray chest PA view reveals:
Average cardio-thoracic ratio in its
transverse diameter.
Left middle and lower lung zone
semi-homogeous opacity with air
bronchogam denoting
consolidation.
Free both costo-phrenic angles.
Normal both copula levels.
Normal bony cage.