Caffey disease

Caffey disease, also called infantile cortical hyperostosis, is a bone disorder that most often occurs in babies. Excessive new bone formation (hyperostosis) is characteristic of Caffey disease. The bone abnormalities mainly affect the jawbone, shoulder blades (scapulae), collarbones (clavicles), and the shafts (diaphyses) of long bones in the arms and legs. Affected bones may double or triple in width, which can be seen by x-ray imaging. In some cases two bones that are next to each other, such as two ribs or the pairs of long bones in the forearms (radius and ulna) or lower legs (tibia and fibula) become fused together. Babies with Caffey disease also have swelling of joints and of soft tissues such as muscles, with pain and redness in the affected areas. Affected infants can also be feverish and irritable.

The signs and symptoms of Caffey disease are usually apparent by the time an infant is 5 months old. In rare cases, skeletal abnormalities can be detected by ultrasound imaging during the last few weeks of development before birth. Lethal prenatal cortical hyperostosis, a more severe disorder that appears earlier in development and is often fatal before or shortly after birth, is sometimes called lethal prenatal Caffey disease; however, it is generally considered to be a separate disorder.

For unknown reasons, the swelling and pain associated with Caffey disease typically go away within a few months. Through a normal process called bone remodeling, which replaces old bone tissue with new bone, the excess bone is usually reabsorbed by the body and undetectable on x-ray images by the age of 2. However, if two adjacent bones have fused, they may remain that way, possibly resulting in complications. For example, fused rib bones can lead to curvature of the spine (scoliosis) or limit expansion of the chest, resulting in breathing problems.

Most people with Caffey disease have no further problems related to the disorder after early childhood. Occasionally, another episode of hyperostosis occurs years later. In addition, some adults who had Caffey disease in infancy have other abnormalities of the bones and connective tissues, which provide strength and flexibility to structures throughout the body. Affected adults may have loose joints (joint laxity), stretchy (hyperextensible) skin, or be prone to protrusion of organs through gaps in muscles (hernias).