Bilateral corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head detected at a 6-week interval

INTRODUCTION: Corticosteroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) often affects both femoral heads. Such bilateral ONFH cases are generally detected concurrently on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). On the other hand, in unilateral cases, it is rare that contralateral ONFH is subsequently detected. We herein report a case in which bilateral ONFH was detected in both femoral heads by repeated MRI examination at an interval of 6 weeks. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 34-year-old man with purpura nephritis was started on corticosteroid therapy with prednisolone at 30 mg/day. Eight months after the initiation of corticosteroid therapy, he complained of left hip pain with no antecedent triggering activity. MRI obtained 8.5 months after the initiation of corticosteroid therapy showed the findings of osteonecrosis of the left femoral head, while no abnormalities were detected in the right femoral head. On the second MRI obtained 10 months after the initiation of corticosteroid treatment, however, osteonecrosis of the right femoral head was newly detected without an increase of the corticosteroid dose. CONCLUSIONS: This case may indicate that corticosteroid-induced bilateral ONFH do not always develop at the same time.