Osteonecrosis of the femoral head in lymphoma patients treated with combined chemotherapy including corticosteroids.

: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head developed in two patients with malignant lymphoma treated with combined chemotherapy. Pain was the main symptom. It was not possible to radiographically distinguish the necrotic lesions from metastatic tumour growth, and in both cases only histological examination revealed the true nature of bone destruction. The large doses of corticosteroids included in the treatment regimens were most likely of more importance in the etiology of the necrosis than the cytostatic drugs proper.