Osteofibrous dysplasia-like adamantinoma of isolated fibula in a child mimicking chronic osteomyelitis with pathological fracture

The occurrence of a pathological fracture in children requires a rigorous diagnostic approach in order to establish the etiology and to develop a precise therapeutic strategy. Several causes are associated with these fractures, the most frequent being benign tumors in children in developed countries and chronic osteomyelitis in developing countries. More rarely, malignant tumors must however always be considered. The differential diagnosis on imaging may be difficult to establish between bone tumors and chronic infection. Surgical biopsy is therefore often performed to establish the precise origin of the fracture. We report the case of an adamantinoma (osteofibrous dysplasia-like) of the fibula in a 7-year-old child, discovered during the management of a pathologic fracture. The presumed diagnosis before biopsy was chronic osteomyelitis. A 14-cm-resection of the affected fibula was performed with good functional result. Differential diagnosis between adamantinoma, osteofibrous dysplasia and osteofibrous dysplasia-like adamantinoma remains very challenging.

Automated summary

Pathological fractures in children have various causes, with chronic osteomyelitis being common in developing countries and benign tumors more frequent in developed countries. Differential diagnosis between bone tumors and chronic infection can be challenging, often requiring surgical biopsy. This case report highlights the importance of accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment strategies.