Ultrasonographic imaging in phalangeal microgeodic syndrome: a case report

Abstract

Phalangeal microgeodic syndrome is a rare but benign disorder that affects the fingers of children. Ultrasonographic imaging was performed on an 11-year-old female presenting with a 3-week history of pain and swelling in the fourth and fifth right-hand fingers. Small bone erosions on the middle phalanx of swollen fingers were detected in the gray scale image, and increased blood flow signal was found in the bone erosion area and soft tissue with power Doppler. Ultrasonography is more convenient and less expensive than imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging. Ultrasonography has utility in diagnosis of phalangeal microgeodic syndrome.

Keywords:

• Phalangeal microgeodic syndrome
• ultrasonography
• power Doppler
• pain
• cold stimulation

Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank our volunteer for her participation in this study. We thank Editage for English language edition. We also thank the following: Dr. Hiroyuki Wakiguchi (Department of pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences medical laboratory science, Yamaguchi, Japan) for helpful discussion; and Hiroyuki Imanaka, Tomoko Takezaki, Yukiko Nonaka (Department of Pediatrics, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan) for the clinical assistance.

Patient consent

A written informed consent for case report has been obtained from the patient and the parents.

Conflict of interest

None.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported Research Grant of Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University.