J Korean Soc Ther Radiol Oncol.  2008 Jun;26(2):126-130.

Two Cases of Avascular Necrosis of the Femur Head after Whole Pelvic Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Cervical Cancer

• Yu J
• Huh SJ
• Park W
• Oh D
• Lee JA

Abstract

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a disease characterized by the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bones, resulting from many possible causes, including radiation therapy. The femoral head is known to be the most common site of AVN. The authors encountered two cases of AVN of the femoral head among 557 patients with cervical cancer treated with whole pelvic radiation therapy at the Samsung Medical Center. AVN of the femoral head was presented with a sclerotic density change in a plain roentgenography and a decreased signal intensity lesion on the T1 and T2 weighted phases of a magnetic resonance image (MRI). Although it is a very rare complication after whole pelvic radiation therapy, AVN of the femoral head should be considered when characteristic imaging findings appear on follow-up examinations.

Keyword

Avascular necrosis; Femoral head; Radiation therapy

MeSH Terms

Femur
Femur Head
Follow-Up Studies
Head
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Necrosis
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms