Bone within a bone appearance (mnemonic)

A useful mnemonic to remember the possible aetiologies of a bone within a bone appearance is:

• GHOST DRAGON

Mnemonic

• G: growth arrest lines
• H: heavy metals, hypoparathyroidism, hypothyroidism
• O: osteopetrosis
• S: sickle cell anaemia, scurvy, syphilis
• T: thalassaemia, tuberculosis
• D: disease of Caffey, hypervitaminosis D
• R: rickets, radiation therapy
• A: acromegaly
• G: Gaucher disease
• O: oxalosis
• N: normal (thoracic/lumbar vertebrae in infants)