Fact-sheet: Fibrous dysplasia
Updated on 09/17/2021 at 12:16 PM
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Definition
Fibrous dysplasia is a benign bone dystrophy characterized by replacement of the medullary cavity of bones with fibro-osseous tissue, with secondary osseous metaplasia producing poorly calcified new bone. It is neither hereditary nor familial. It may involve a single bone (monostotic) or multiple bones (polyostotic), in which case it tends to be unilateral. It preferentially affects the femur, tibia, skull, and ribs. In some cases, extraosseous abnormalities (cutaneous or endocrine) are associated.
Clinical features
Many lesions are asymptomatic, particularly in monostotic forms, and are discovered incidentally on imaging performed for another reason.