Pathology · single question
What radiographic pattern is classically associated with sickle cell anemia involving the jaws/skull?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Stepladder trabecular pattern
Sickle cell disease causes chronic vaso-occlusive bone marrow infarcts with compensatory marrow hyperplasia, producing a coarse 'stepladder' trabecular pattern in the jaws and a 'hair-on-end' appearance in the skull. Punched-out lesions are classic for multiple myeloma, ground-glass appearance for fibrous dysplasia, and cotton-wool appearance for Paget's disease of bone.