Keywords:
Musculoskeletal bone, Pelvis, MR, CT, Conventional radiography, Education, Normal variants, Inflammation
Authors:
C. D. O. Mira1, M. Ataíde2, C. Silva1, P. D. Afonso3; 1Loures/PT, 2Lisboa/PT, 3Lisbon/PT
DOI:
10.26044/essr2019/P-0088
Background
Synchondroses are temporary joints composed of hyaline cartilage present during the process of skeletal maturation.
With skeletal maturation,
they become thinner and usually close by bony union or synostosis.
The time of closure is variable,
but typically begins in early childhood and is completed before puberty.
Van Neck-Odelberg disease (also known as ischiopubic osteochondrosis) describes radiographic abnormalities of the ischiopubic synchondrosis (IPS),
a frequent finding in radiologic workup in children before puberty,
during fusion of the pubic and ischial bones.
These findings are usually asymmetric and probably due to mechanical strain,
with the IPS expansion as the callus that forms as a physiologic response to stress.
This stress is caused by muscle forces acting on the IPS,
which can prolong ossification,
accounting for the asymmetric closure.
The ischiopubic osteochondrosis is usually an asymptomatic finding and therefore largely considered as an anatomic variant of skeletal developmental.
However,
some children are symptomatic,
complaining of groin or buttock pain.
The differential diagnosis encompasses acute hematogenous ischiopubic osteomyelitis.
Inflammatory markers and blood cultures are usually negative.
MRI can provide considerable information to the clinician,
although findings can be nonspecific.
We review imaging findings of Van Neck-Odelberg disease,
through examples from our institution.