ABSTRACT
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents the most common pediatric cancer accounting for about one-third of all malignancies in childhood. The differential diagnosis for a pediatric patient manifesting with joint pain and refusal to bear weight is wide and includes trauma, transient synovitis, septic arthritis, rheumatologic disorders, and malignancy. Overt complaints from the musculoskeletal system as the initial manifestation of ALL may present in up to 30% of cases with normal laboratory tests and without hepatosplenomegaly or lymphadenopathy, perplexing the establishment of a definite diagnosis. Herein, we report the case of a three-year-old male who presented with recurrent hip pain and fever masquerading as septic arthritis recalcitrant to intravenous (IV) antibiotics, irrigation, and debridement of the hip joint with a final diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia confirmed by bone marrow biopsy.
ABSTRACT
Posterior tibialis tendon (PTT) dislocation is an extremely rare yet significant finding in cases with recalcitrant pain over the medial malleolus, usually as a consequence of trauma. The diagnosis is frequently delayed, as the patient's initial clinical presentation generally resembles benign musculoskeletal pathology of the ankle joint. Herein, we report the case of a female patient diagnosed with PTT dislocation after four weeks of conservative management for an ankle sprain. Surgical intervention, including retromalleolar groove-deepening and repair of flexor retinaculum with intraosseous suture anchors, proved to be successful after a mean follow-up of 12 months. A thorough literature review was conducted regarding the aforementioned injury, concluding that PTT dislocation-in spite of its rarity-should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with importunate pain on medial malleolus after an ankle injury.
ABSTRACT
Limbus vertebra (LV) represents a marginal interosseous herniation of the nucleus pulposus, usually in the midlumbar region. It is generally diagnosed as an incidental radiological finding during investigation of a case presenting low back pain or lumbar radiculopathy symptomatology. In this article, we report a case of a 37-year-old male patient complaining of acute low back pain. Imaging revealed a bone defect on the anterosuperior edge of L3 vertebra, finding that was attributed to LV. A comprehensive literature review was conducted regarding LV that should be included in the differential diagnosis of imaging findings of vertebral end defects.
