Imaging pattern and histological features of Gorham-Stout Disease of the radius

Abstract

Gorham-Stout Disease (GD) is a very rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by progressive osteolysis and soft tissue involvement. Imaging is non-specific, and diagnosis may be delayed. The evolution of the disease is unpredictable, with progression of the osteolysis, spontaneous regression, or in a few cases re-ossification. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman with GD of the radius. In this rare location, only few cases have been reported with all imaging modalities: conventional radiography, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET-CT). We describe the characteristics of GD in different imaging modalities, as well as the histological features. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first metabolically active lesion in GD, with relevant implications for the differential diagnosis.