Authors: Martin MukisiMukaza Anne GomezBrouchet Monique Donkerwolcke Maurice Hinsenkamp Franz Burny
Publish Date: 2010/09/10
Volume: 35, Issue: 8, Pages: 1145-1150
Abstract
This study compares the histopathology of bone biopsies from patients suffering from sickle cell anaemia homozygote SS to heterozygote patients SA and homozygotes with aseptic osteonecrosis AA The sensitivity to bacterial infection of sickle cell patients raises the question of the aetiology of sepsis in the onset of the necrosis To our knowledge this study is the first to analyse the histopathology of osteonecrosis of the femoral head at its early stages in sickle cell anaemia At the University Hospital of PointeàPitre from 1994 to 2007 38 bone biopsies were obtained from adult patients with avascular necrosis of the femoral head at the time of a core decompression procedure SS SC 27 AS 5 AA 6 The histology of the biopsies confirmed the necrosis all bacteriological cultures were negative Patients displaying one S gene SS SC AS compared to homozygote subjects AA showed a significant increase of a nonspecific inflammatory granulomatosis p = 0003 No relationship was observed between the radiological stages and the histology whatever the genotype p = 01 Inflammatory histopathology without sepsis or advanced alteration characterises the early stages of sickle cell necrosis This inflammatory process is absent in idiopathic avascular necrosis
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