Avascular necrosis of bone complicating treatment of malignant lymphoma

Over a 15-year period, 12 patients were seen at the Ontario Cancer Institute in whom avascular necrosis of bone development after or during treatment for malignant lymphoma. All but one were treated with systemic chemotherapy that included high-dose intermittent corticosteroids. The average time of onset of symptoms was 34 months (range, eight of 72 months) after an average of 9.0 g of prednisone (range, 1.4 to 18.75 g). The one exception was a patient with Hodgkin's disease treated by pelvic radiation alone who had development of avascular necrosis of the femoral head within one month of irradiation. More than one joint was involved in 58 percent of patients. Six patients required surgery (usually hip replacement) but two patients had no evidence of deterioration over many years (average, seven years) and three patients had minimal symptoms easily controlled by mild analgesics up to six years after diagnosis. The evidence implicating corticosteroids in the development of avascular necrosis is presented and the various hypotheses of pathogenesis are reviewed. The predominance of Hodgkin's disease over non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (5:1) in this and other series and the identification of one patient with Hodgkin's disease with development of avascular necrosis within one month of radiotherapy treatment suggests that Hodgkin's disease itself may predispose to this condition.