Bone Marrow Necrosis

Abstract

Bone marrow necrosis is regarded as an uncommon entity that is associated with a poor prognosis. However, organized studies using either bone marrow biopsy specimens or autopsy material showed that bone marrow necrosis can be demonstrated in approximately one third of specimens. It is found in a large number of both malignant and nonmalignant disorders, in addition to occurring following large exposures to radiation or high dose cancer chemotherapy. In the absence of radiation or cancer chemotherapy, it probably eventuates from either vascular occlusion or blood stasis in small blood vessels. When bone marrow necrosis is prolonged, it may be associated with the development of bone marrow fibrosis, and it may serve as a predisposing etiology for idiopathic myelofibrosis. Most patients discovered with bone marrow necrosis have few symptoms, and they are eventually lost to follow-up without evident progression or development of a clinical illness. In acute disorders and in those who undergo effective therapy, recovery appears to occur without complications. This frequently overlooked finding is the subject of many case reports in the medical literature, but it has only been rarely systematically investigated. The latter is probably warranted because of the potential role of bone marrow necrosis in the pathophysiology of a number of disorders and the paucity of information for treatment of this pathological finding.