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Post-Transplant Complications

Bone mineral density and osteonecrosis in survivors of childhood allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Summary:

Our purpose was to evaluate frequency and severity of bone mineral decrements and frequency of osteonecrosis in survivors of pediatric allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (alloBMT). We retrospectively reviewed demographic information, treatment, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies (hips and knees), and bone mineral density (BMD) studies of 48 patients as measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT). In all, 24 patients were male; 37 were Caucasian. Median age at alloBMT was 10.3 years (1.6–20.4 years). Of the 48 patients, 43 underwent QCT. Median time between alloBMT and imaging was 5.1 years (1.0–10.2 years). Median BMD Z-score was −0.89 (−4.06 to 3.05). BMD Z-score tended to be associated with female sex (P=0.0559) but not with age at BMT, race, primary diagnosis, time from alloBMT, T-cell depletion of graft, total-body irradiation, or acute/chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). MR showed osteonecrosis in 19 of 43 (44%). We found no associations between osteonecrosis and sex, race, diagnosis, age at BMT, history of GVHD, time from BMT, or T-cell depletion. Seven patients (15%) had MR changes of osteonecrosis and BMD Z-scores of less than –1 s.d. We conclude that pediatric alloBMT survivors have decreased BMD and are at risk of osteonecrosis. They should be monitored to assure early intervention that may ameliorate adverse outcomes.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported in part by grant P30 CA-21765 from the National Cancer Institute and by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC).

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Correspondence to S C Kaste.

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Kaste, S., Shidler, T., Tong, X. et al. Bone mineral density and osteonecrosis in survivors of childhood allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 33, 435–441 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1704360

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