Mixed-sclerosing-bone-dystrophy: report of a case and review of the literature.

We present clinical, laboratory, radiologic, genetic, and pathologic findings in a 49-year-old man with mixed-sclerosing-bone-dystrophy (MSBD), review the six cases previously reported as "MSBD", and examine the nosology of this rare bone dysplasia. Our asymptomatic patient showed radiographic changes consistent with osteopoikilosis, osteopathia striata, and melorheostosis and had widespread osteosclerosis of the axial skeleton. Several previous reports of combined osteosclerotic disorders suggest the latter finding represents osteopetrosis, however, histologic examination of our patient's iliac crest excluded that diagnosis. Limited radiographic surveys of his eight children were unremarkable except for isolated bone islands in two sons. Literature review revealed that "MSBD" has actually been used generically to describe the association of a variety of osteosclerotic bone dysplasias when they occur together in a single patient.