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Osteonecrosis is one of the most recently uncovered complications of HIV and its treatments. In 2002, researchers detected asymptomatic osteonecrosis in 15 of 339 HIV-infected individuals who underwent MRI scanning, for a surprisingly high prevalence of 4.4% (ACC Sep 1 2002). Now, in a follow-up study, the same investigators estimate the incidence of osteonecrosis and describe the condition’s natural history.
A total of 239 members of the original asymptomatic cohort underwent repeat MRI scans 17 to 31 months after the first test. Bilateral osteonecrosis was identified in three additional patients, for an incidence estimate of 0.65 cases of asymptomatic disease per 100 person-years (about 100-fold higher than in the general population).
Overa…