Hip Avascular Necrosis

This patient has lupus erythematosus, a disease that can be treated with steroids. One potential complication of long-term steroid use is the development of avascular necrosis of the femoral head (hip long bone). This MRI image shows abnormal signal in the left femoral head (arrow), in a pattern that is diagnostic of avascular necrosis. This is a serious condition that can lead to collapse of the femoral head, and subsequent severe arthritis. Avascular necrosis can be caused by many conditions, and MRI is the best way to check for this problem, and many other diseases of the hip.