Twenty classic hand radiographs that lead to diagnosis.

Most of the common skeletal dysplasias have some manifestation in the hand. Many have characteristic findings in the hand that lead to the diagnosis. Hand bones are also affected in many systemic hematologic and metabolic conditions. The diagnosis can be clinched on a single hand radiograph if characteristic findings are present. This pictorial essay illustrates characteristic findings of 20 common conditions including bone dysplasias and metabolic and hematologic abnormalities on a single hand radiograph. It also includes some common hand abnormalities without systemic skeletal abnormalities.