Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Uremic leontiasis ossea: "bighead" disease in humans? Radiologic, clinical, and pathologic features.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lee, VS; Webb, MS; Martinez, S; McKay, CP; Leight, GS
Published in: Radiology
April 1996

PURPOSE: To describe the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings in patients with uremic leontiasis ossea (ULO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five patients with renal osteodystrophy developed marked hyperostosis of the facial and cranial bones. Radiologic studies included plain radiography of the skull (n = 5), computed tomography with three-dimensional reconstruction (n = 4), magnetic resonance imaging (n = 3), and fluorine-18 sodium fluoride positron emission tomography (PET) (n = 1). Specimens from bone biopsies (three patients) were examined. RESULTS: Skull and facial alterations were remarkably similar. Numerous nodules of varying attenuation and signal intensity in the widened diploic space suggested brown tumors in different stages of evolution. Biochemical data and PET findings enabled confirmation of markedly increased bone turnover. Bone specimens demonstrated severe osteitis fibrosa. After parathyroidectomy, facial changes in all patients stabilized or improved mildly. CONCLUSION: A similar entity in animals, "bighead" disease, which results from nutritional and uremic secondary hyperparathyroidism, may provide a useful animal model for ULO in humans. Mild forms of this entity may be more common than the scarcity of previous reports suggests.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Radiology

DOI

ISSN

0033-8419

Publication Date

April 1996

Volume

199

Issue

1

Start / End Page

233 / 240

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Uremia
  • Skull
  • Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Hyperostosis Frontalis Interna
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Facial Bones
  • Diagnostic Imaging
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Lee, V. S., Webb, M. S., Martinez, S., McKay, C. P., & Leight, G. S. (1996). Uremic leontiasis ossea: "bighead" disease in humans? Radiologic, clinical, and pathologic features. Radiology, 199(1), 233–240. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiology.199.1.8633151
Lee, V. S., M. S. Webb, S. Martinez, C. P. McKay, and G. S. Leight. “Uremic leontiasis ossea: "bighead" disease in humans? Radiologic, clinical, and pathologic features.Radiology 199, no. 1 (April 1996): 233–40. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiology.199.1.8633151.
Lee VS, Webb MS, Martinez S, McKay CP, Leight GS. Uremic leontiasis ossea: "bighead" disease in humans? Radiologic, clinical, and pathologic features. Radiology. 1996 Apr;199(1):233–40.
Lee, V. S., et al. “Uremic leontiasis ossea: "bighead" disease in humans? Radiologic, clinical, and pathologic features.Radiology, vol. 199, no. 1, Apr. 1996, pp. 233–40. Pubmed, doi:10.1148/radiology.199.1.8633151.
Lee VS, Webb MS, Martinez S, McKay CP, Leight GS. Uremic leontiasis ossea: "bighead" disease in humans? Radiologic, clinical, and pathologic features. Radiology. 1996 Apr;199(1):233–240.
Journal cover image

Published In

Radiology

DOI

ISSN

0033-8419

Publication Date

April 1996

Volume

199

Issue

1

Start / End Page

233 / 240

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Uremia
  • Skull
  • Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Hyperostosis Frontalis Interna
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Facial Bones
  • Diagnostic Imaging