Table 2 Differential diagnosis for osteomyelitis variolosa
From: Osteomyelitis variolosa, an issue inherited from the past: case report and systematic review
Disease | Age tendency | Sex predilection | Etiology | Unilateral or Bilateral | Imaging | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Osteomyelitis variolosa | Children | No sex differences | Variola virus | Bilateral | Ankylosis; dislocation; subluxation; shortening and deformity of long and short tubular bones; flared metaphyses and precocious osteoarthritis | |
Achondroplasia | Infants | No sex differences | Genetic factors | Bilateral | Short, robust tubular bones; squared off iliac wings; flat, horizontal acetabula; marked narrowing of the sacrosciatic notch; a characteristic proximal femoral radiolucency; narrowing of the interpediculate distance of the caudal spine; short proximal and middle phalanges | [36] |
Pseudohypoparathyroidism | Children and adults | No sex differences | Genetic factors | Bilateral | Ectopic ossifications; shortening of the metacarpals and metatarsals | |
Sequelae of septic arthritis | Children | Male | Bacterial infection | Unilateral | Difference in limb size; avascular necrosis of the femoral head; pathological fracture | [39] |
Osteoarthritis | Middle-aged and older | Female | Degeneration | Bilateral | Narrowing of the joint space width; osteophyte formation;Â development of subchondral sclerosis and cysts | [40] |
Rheumatoid arthritis | Any age | Female | Chronic inflammatory disease | Bilateral | Joint space narrowing; bone erosion; subluxation; ankylosis; mutilating changes | [41] |
Caffey disease | Infant | No sex differences | Genetic factors | Bilateral | Periosteal new bone formation leads to cortical thickening (hyperostosis) of the affected bones and swelling of the overlying soft tissue | [42] |
Leprosy | Adults | No sex differences | Mycobacterium leprae | Bilateral | Juxta-articular erosions; periostitis; bone resorption; sacroiliitis; deformed joints | |
Tuberculosis | Children and the elderly | No sex differences | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Unilateral | Joint space narrowing; juxta-articular osteoporosis; peripherally located osseous erosions | [45] |
Kashin-Beck disease | Children | No sex differences | Selenium deficiency and cereal contamination | Bilateral | Symmetrical enlargement of the phalanges; brachydactyly; joint deformity and even dwarfism |