Osteonecrosis is a generic term that refers to cell death in the two components of the bone: hematopoietic fat marrow and osteocytes. It is more frequent in men than women (8:1), with the vast majority of the cases being reported in patients under age fifty. HIV-infected patients appears to be at major risk to the development of osteonecrosis, and the predisposing factors listed are the antiretroviral therapy, corticosteroids use and others risk factors that can be encountered on the general population. The authors get thorough a review of the etiology, clinical picture, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and the selected aspects of this entity in HIV-infected individuals.
osteonecrosis; HIV; antiretroviral therapy (HAART)
