[A child case of atypical chronic fasciitis--diagnostic usefulness of muscle CT scan].

Eosinophilic fasciitis is an uncommon disorder characterized by peripheral blood eosinophilia, hypergamma-globulinemia, and inflammation of fascia and skin. Its typical symptom in the acute stage includes muscle pain and swelling, followed by slowly progressive joint contractures. We report an 11-year-old girl with pathological diagnosis of chronic fasciitis, probable eosinophillic fasciitis. Her first symptom was chronic symmetrical joint contractures, which developed when she was 4 years old. She had atypical course as compared with patients described in literature, lack of acute symptom and very early onset of the disease. Her muscle CT scan revealed very fibrotic fascia, which might be responsible for joint contractures. Muscle and fascia biopsies were performed to confirm the diagnosis. The fascia was very fibrotic containing mononuclear cell infiltration, compatible with a chronic stage of eosinophilic fasciitis. In conclusion muscle CT scan is useful for differential diagnosis of this disorder in patients presenting with chronic symmetrical joint contractures, but without acute inflammatory symptom.