Aseptic bone/bone marrow necrosis in leukaemia

Aseptic (avascular) bone/bone marrow necrosis (ABN) was found in 21 leukaemic patients during a period of 14 yr, with a frequency of 6.5% in autopsied leukaemic patients, and with the highest frequency in ALL. 8 patients (38%) complained of bone pain. X-ray examination was carried out in 7 of these with a positive result in 3 (43%). Only 1 patient had elevated S-Alkaline phosphatase. Leucocytosis was found in 12 patients. Only 1 patient (ALL) received steroid in a rather high dose during 6 weeks. At autopsy ABN was found localized to the femur in all patients and 2 patients also had ABN in other bones. Post-mortem X-ray examination demonstrated changes in 8 of 15 cases (53%), with osteolysis in 6 and sclerosis in 2. 19 patients had had recent ABN with some fibroblast proliferation. In 4 of these, appositional bone formation had started. 2 patients had sclerosis as the only change. The pathogenesis of ABN is not known; an important factor, however, may be ischaemia due to vascular obstruction.