Abstract

Objective: To probe into the clinical and imaging manifestations and mechanisms of fluorosis-associated arthropathy.

Methods: Analyses were conducted on the clinical manifestations, X-rays and magnetic resonance examinations in 18 cases with fluorosis-associated arthropathy.

Results: Skeletal fluorosis of different severities was revealed in the 18 cases. Major clinical symptoms were as follows: pain over the spine, joints of extremities and muscles near the spine and around such joints, lumbago and leg pain being foremost, along with limitation of joint motion, joint dysfunction and even joint rigidity, plus possible joint deformity and curvature of spine. Major imaging manifestations of fluorosis-associated arthropathy included synovial thickening, joint capsule swelling, effusion in joint cavity, joint space widening, calcification of articular cartilage and consequential joint space narrowing, along with erosion, destruction and fuzziness of osseous joint surface or arthrosclerosis, [the formation of] isolated bodies in joint cavity, hyperosteogeny of joint edges, calcification of ligaments around joints, calcification of joint capsule and even fuzzy joint space.

Conclusion: The clinical and imaging manifestations of fluorosis-associated arthropathy are of certain referential value for fluorosis typing and grading.

Translation by Trans Perfect Translations (2014)

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