Idiopathic familial acroosteolysis: histomorphometric study of bone and literature review of the Hajdu-Cheney syndrome.

We describe a 27-year-old man with familial acroosteolysis involving 9 fingers. Bone biopsy of an affected digit showed osteolysis with no tetracycline deposition, rare osteoclasts, increased vascularity, and numerous mast cells. In contrast, the iliac crest bone showed active bone remodeling and normal double-tetracycline labeling. We believe mast cells deserve further study as possible factors in this form of localized osteolysis.