Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Bone island
Introduction
Synonyms and keywords: Enostosis
Overview
Overview
- A bone island is a focus of compact bone located in cancellous bone.
- Benign entity that is usually found incidentally on imaging studies
- Histologically, bone islands are intramedullary foci of normal compact bone with haversian canals and “thorny” radiations that merge with the trabeculae of surrounding normal cancellous bone.
- Most commonly identified in the pelvis, long bones, ribs, and spine.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
X-ray
- Round or ovoid intramedullary sclerotic foci.
- Long axis of a bone island typically parallels the long axis of the involved bone. Bone islands appear homogeneously sclerotic with “thorny” radiating bone spicules that extend from the center of the lesion and blend with the trabeculae.
CT
- Same as above for plain films
MRI
- Dark on all pulse sequences
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]