Ghost infantile vertebrae and hemipelves within adult skeleton from thorotrast administration in childhood.

In 2 adults who had received thorotrast intravenously at ages 2 and 3 years, respectively, radiopaque outlines of their infantile vertebrae were seen in the adult vertebrae. Similar “ghosts” of the hemipelves were present in the pelvis of 1 patient. Autopsy findings and autoradiographs in 1 patient strongly suggest that persisting thorotrast deposits in the infantile vertebrae and pelvis have produced a chronic radiation osteitis and dense thickened bone trabeculae, which are more radiopaque than the surrounding adult bone.