Air in the bone in a case of bone marrow necrosis associated with Escherichia coli septicemia

Nécrose médullaire osseuse sévère associée à un choc septique en réanimation

Unexplained cytopenias can be related to bone marrow necrosis (BMN) in critically ill patients as it can be encountered in several diseases or life-threatening conditions. We present the case of a 39-year-old woman with pancytopenia revealing a BMN in the setting of an acute pyelonephritis with septic shock, multiple organ failure and sickle cell trait. After a short review on the subject, we suggest that various haematological abnormalities occurring in critically ill patients may be related to a mild to severe marrow necrosis.

Plasma Proteins Case Report: Massive Bone Marrow Necrosis with Polyclonal Hypergammaglobulinemia and Blue Toe Syndrome

Massive bone marrow necrosis was rare, and most of these cases were accompanied with malignant disease. We report a case that was thought to be idiopathic massive bone marrow necrosis. It was a 58 y.o. male who was admitted because of blue toe syndrome and hypergammaglobulinemia. We tried to detect malignant diseases with computed tomography and gallium scintigraphy, and infectious diseases with bacterial culture and viral antibodies, but all of them were negative. Pancytopenia and bone marrow necrosis was not improved, and he had died after 5-month hospitalization. Autopsy revealed massive bone marrow necrosis and bone marrow fibrosis after necrosis, but malignant or infectious diseases were not detected. It may be diagnosed as idiopathic massive bone marrow necrosis.

Pancytopenia due to bone marrow necrosis in acute myelogenous leukemia: role of reactive CD8 cells

Bone marrow necrosis is a rare clinical condition often associated with hematological malignancy. The mechanism by which malignant disease causes marrow necrosis is unknown. We present a case of a patient with newly diagnosed pancytopenia with bone marrow biopsy evidence of extensive marrow necrosis. Upon further work-up utilizing Tc bone scan directed bone marrow biopsy, a massive CD8+ T cell marrow infiltrate was discovered engulfing AML-M2 blasts. The role of Tc bone scans in the work-up of bone marrow necrosis as well as the potential mechanism of AML-M2 induced marrow necrosis in the setting of reactive CD8+ T cell infiltration is discussed.

Bone marrow necrosis

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.