AVASCULAR NECROSIS OF THE FEMORAL-HEAD AS A COMPLICATION OF CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA

A 17-year-old male patient complaining of intense pain in his right hi p was found to be suffering from chronic myelogenous leukaemia. Prelim inary X-rays and bone scintigraphy did not suggest avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) did, however, re veal leukaemic infiltration of the femoral neck and generalised ischea mia in the femoral head. Further, MRI carried out 4 months later discl osed typical signs of osteonecrosis, despite previous indications of a n improvement under chemotherapy. Flattening of the head of the femur appeared in radiographs taken in the 9th month. In the 12th month, rec urrence of pain made it necessary to perform a total hip arthroplasty. Anatomo-pathological investigation confirmed both the necrosis and th e leukaemic invasion.