Avascular necrosis superimposed on Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease in a cardiac transplant patient

The pathogenesis of both Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) and avascular necrosis (AVN) remains controversial. Evidence suggests, however, that both conditions are produced by vascular compromise in the femoral head. A patient with a previous history of LCPD at age eight subsequently developed AVN at age 46 after having a cardiac transplant for ischemic cardiomyopathy. A review of the past ten years' literature disclosed no reports of similar cases.