[Pleural empyema revealing osteopoikilosis].

INTRODUCTION: Osteopoikilosis is a rare, inherited and usually asymptomatic sclerosing bone dysplasia of unknown etiology which predominantly involves the appendicular and rarely the axial skeleton.

CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 24 year old man who was hospitalized for pleural empyema and treated with antibiotics for six weeks in addition to pleural evacuation and physiotherapy. The diagnosis of osteopoikilosis associated with the pleural empyema was made on the radiological findings. In fact the chest X-Ray showed spherical areas of increased bone density in both humeral epiphyses. In order to explore these bone abnormalities further investigations were performed, including red and white blood cell counts, sedimentation rate and protein electrophoresis. There were no biological abnormalities. Radiography of the whole skeleton showed disseminated sclerotic lesions in the pelvis and the metacarpal and carpal bones of both hands. A neoplastic aetiology was excluded. In the light of these investigations, the diagnosis of osteopoikilosis was established.

CONCLUSION: Widespread osteopoikilosis can be revealed on chest radiography.