Van Neck–Odelberg Disease Mimicking Pelvic Infection in a Child: A Case Report and Literature Review

We report the case of a nine-year-old girl who presented with a two-month history of atraumatic right hip pain and a painful limp, without fever.Physical examination revealed pubic tenderness and pain elicited at the extremes of hip motion, with preserved range of motion.Laboratory investigations showed a normal complete blood count and C-reactive protein level, with a mildly elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate.Pelvic osteomyelitis and a benign bone tumor were initially suspected.Plain radiography showed asymmetry of the right ischiopubic synchondrosis compared with the left side, and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated focal bone marrow edema, without abscess, joint effusion, or soft-tissue mass, and singlephoton emission computed tomography combined with computed tomography showed increased uptake confined to the synchondrosis.A diagnosis of Van Neck-Odelberg disease (VNOD) of the right ischiopubic synchondrosis was made.Conservative management with temporary cessation of sports activities and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as needed led to complete resolution of symptoms within six months.In this patient, a presentation initially suggestive of pelvic infection was managed without biopsy or surgical exploration.This case suggests that VNOD should be considered in children presenting with atraumatic pelvic or groin pain and a limp.