Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a disease characterized by the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bones, resulting from many possible causes, including radiation therapy. The femoral head is known to be the most common site of AVN. The authors encountered two cases of AVN of the femoral head among 557 patients with cervical cancer treated with whole pelvic radiation therapy at the Samsung Medical Center. AVN of the femoral head was presented with a sclerotic density change in a plain roentgenography and a decreased signal intensity lesion on the T1 and T2 weighted phases of a magnetic resonance image (MRI). Although it is a very rare complication after whole pelvic radiation therapy, AVN of the femoral head should be considered when characteristic imaging findings appear on follow-up examinations.
Femur ; Femur Head ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Necrosis ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Although first-line treatment option for single, small sized hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with preserved liver function and good performance status is resection or ablation, sometimes these modalities cannot be applied for variable reasons. For them, alternative options such as transarterial chemoeombolization, ethanol injection, and external radiation therapy can be considered, with variable success rates. Herein, we describe 45 year-old male who presented with a single small tumor located at caudate lobe. After multi-disciplinary discussion, the patient was treated with proton beam therapy, which resulted in favorable treatment outcome.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Ethanol ; Humans ; Liver ; Male ; Proton Therapy ; Protons ; Treatment Outcome