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What is the significance of a sclerotic lesion in rib scan?

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Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

What is the significance of a sclerotic lesion in rib found on CT scan? What does sclerotic mean?
Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Vivek Chail is a General Practitioner and Family Physician committed to delivering holistic and comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. He provides preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic care for a wide spectrum of medical conditions. He provides patient education and lifestyle counseling for long-term health and wellness. He is well-versed in chronic disease management for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and thyroid disorders. He is an expert in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses across all age groups.

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Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

  • A sclerotic area in the bone is a part where there is increased deposition of calcium and therefore the bone mineralization in higher in this area.
  • The exact nature of the lesion varies with age and other existing conditions.
  • It is usually a harmless benign finding like the bone island (benign bone tumor), healing fracture, osteoblastoma and enchondroma (cartilage tumor) in most cases and rarely even a malignancy (osteosarcoma or metastasis) can cause it.
  • Discuss the finding of a sclerotic rib lesion in details with your doctor. Since it is more often from benign causes, please do not worry much.

For further information consult a radiologist online.

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

How long would it take a rib fracture to look sclerotic on imaging? Will it be sclerotic in healing fracture or a fresh one?

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Vivek Chail is a General Practitioner and Family Physician committed to delivering holistic and comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. He provides preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic care for a wide spectrum of medical conditions. He provides patient education and lifestyle counseling for long-term health and wellness. He is well-versed in chronic disease management for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and thyroid disorders. He is an expert in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses across all age groups.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

  • Callus can visualize on imaging at two weeks after a fracture. In four weeks time, it becomes a mild to moderate amount and after eight weeks there is abundant callus visualized.
  • The callus shows a sclerotic appearance in the area of the fracture, which can be well visualized from four weeks after the injury.
  • Fresh fractures will not have callus and therefore no sclerotic reaction.

For further doubts consult a radiologist online.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Can you explain the healing process?

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Vivek Chail is a General Practitioner and Family Physician committed to delivering holistic and comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. He provides preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic care for a wide spectrum of medical conditions. He provides patient education and lifestyle counseling for long-term health and wellness. He is well-versed in chronic disease management for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and thyroid disorders. He is an expert in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses across all age groups.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

After a fracture, there would have been calcium deposition in the fracture area in four weeks to call it a sclerotic lesion.

A fracture can be of many types varying from a open displaced fracture which is obvious to a hairline fracture which is the mild form. Therefore if there was a mild fracture which healed, then it will be visualised as a sclerotic lesion.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

That makes sense to me. Would the radiologist still see a fracture line or just the sclerosis?

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Vivek Chail is a General Practitioner and Family Physician committed to delivering holistic and comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. He provides preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic care for a wide spectrum of medical conditions. He provides patient education and lifestyle counseling for long-term health and wellness. He is well-versed in chronic disease management for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and thyroid disorders. He is an expert in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses across all age groups.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

If the CT scan was done between four to eight weeks after the suspected fracture then the radiologist will see only sclerosis. The sharp fracture line gets hazy due to healing after few weeks.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Hemalatha
Published At March 28, 2017
Reviewed At April 12, 2025

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Vivek Chail is a General Practitioner and Family Physician committed to delivering holistic and comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. He provides preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic care for a wide spectrum of medical conditions. He provides patient education and lifestyle counseling for long-term health and wellness. He is well-versed in chronic disease management for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and thyroid disorders. He is an expert in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses across all age groups.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Hemalatha is a dedicated Dental Surgeon with expertise in preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental care. She is passionate about promoting oral health and creating personalized treatment plans to suit each patient’s needs. Her clinical approach emphasizes patient comfort, precision, and long-term dental wellness, ensuring a positive and reassuring experience for every individual under her care.

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Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Vivek Chail
Dr. Vivek Chail

General Practitioner

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Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Vivek Chail is a General Practitioner and Family Physician committed to delivering holistic and comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. He provides preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic care for a wide spectrum of medical conditions. He provides patient education and lifestyle counseling for long-term health and wellness. He is well-versed in chronic disease management for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and thyroid disorders. He is an expert in the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses across all age groups.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

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