Pathological fracture in haemoglobinopathy: treatment by irradiation.
A patient suffering from thalassaemia, with extreme osteoporosis, coarse trabeculation and cortical thinning of the bones, developed a pathological fracture of the left hip. This was treated by a single dose of radiotherapy. It is suggested that the radiotherapy facilitated the healing process by eliminating the causative factor of the fracture, which was the expanding and over-proliferating bone marrow.
Papavasiliou
C
C
University of Athens, Department of Radiology, Areteion Hospital, Greece.
Kotoulas
G
G
Layiandreou
A
A
Plataniotis
G
G
Vlahos
L
L
D000328:Adult; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications*