Hyperostosis of the skull (differential)

Hyperostosis of the skull has many causes, broadly divided into focal or diffuse.

Diffuse

• Paget disease of bone
• metastatic disease, especially prostate carcinoma
• chronic, severe anemia
• hyperparathyroidism
• acromegaly
• osteopetrosis
• hyperostosis frontalis interna
• long-term phenytoin use
• genetic diseases (rare)
  • Camurati-Engelmann disease
  • frontometaphyseal dysplasia
  • craniodiaphyseal dysplasia

Focal

• meningioma
• fibrous dysplasia
• Paget disease of bone
• metastatic disease, especially prostate carcinoma
• esthesioneuroblastoma: only rarely demonstrates hyperostosis