A E Oestreich1. 1. Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. oestreich.ae@chmcc.org
Abstract
PURPOSE: To review the similarities of the radiographic changes in frostbite, the Asian disease of Kashin-Beck, and long term growth damage from injury such as rate bite. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiographs and literature from subjects with these diagnoses were analyzed for the common features and differences. Included was an infant with hand changes 8 months after unwitnessed rat bites. RESULTS: Each condition revealed findings consistent with the hypothesis of localized damage to sites of enchondral ossification, including at acrophyses--the growth plates that are not between epiphysis and metaphysis, but instead lie at the margins of growth centers, including carpal and tarsal bones, and the non-epiphyseal ends of small tubular bones. DISCUSSION: The patterns observed support a final common pathway of damage in frostbite due to cold injury, Kashin-Beck disease (endemic in China) of unknown etiology, and damage from toxins associated, for example, with rat bite. In frostbite, the distribution is acral because of the site of exposure, while the distribution in Kashin-Beck is more diffuse and often less contiguous. In each condition, arthrotic sequelae may be expected in the natural course of follow-up. MRI may play a role in acute diagnosis that might modify the course of each disease.
PURPOSE: To review the similarities of the radiographic changes in frostbite, the Asian disease of Kashin-Beck, and long term growth damage from injury such as rate bite. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiographs and literature from subjects with these diagnoses were analyzed for the common features and differences. Included was an infant with hand changes 8 months after unwitnessed rat bites. RESULTS: Each condition revealed findings consistent with the hypothesis of localized damage to sites of enchondral ossification, including at acrophyses--the growth plates that are not between epiphysis and metaphysis, but instead lie at the margins of growth centers, including carpal and tarsal bones, and the non-epiphyseal ends of small tubular bones. DISCUSSION: The patterns observed support a final common pathway of damage in frostbite due to cold injury, Kashin-Beck disease (endemic in China) of unknown etiology, and damage from toxins associated, for example, with rat bite. In frostbite, the distribution is acral because of the site of exposure, while the distribution in Kashin-Beck is more diffuse and often less contiguous. In each condition, arthrotic sequelae may be expected in the natural course of follow-up. MRI may play a role in acute diagnosis that might modify the course of each disease.