Melorheostosis: presentation of a clinical case

Abstract

Melorheostosis is a form of hyperostosis which affects both bone and the adjacent soft tissues. Its incidence is variable, although it is higher in the second and third decades of life due to the slowly progressive nature of the disease. It generally presents with pain which may cause significant functional limitation. We may be assisted in its diagnosis by its characteristic radiological image which resembles "wax melting down the side of a candle". A case of melorheostosis is presented with clinical findings and radiological characteristics. The patient had previously been diagnosed with Paget's disease of bone, so we proposed a differential diagnosis of this pathology.