Postpartum bilateral transient osteoporosis of the hip: MR imaging findings in three cases.

PURPOSE: Transient osteoporosis of the hip (TOH), associated with pregnancy, is a self-limiting skeletal disorder affecting women, usually in the third trimester, which resolves spontaneously within few months postpartum. Bilateral involvement is rare. Involvement postpartum has not been described. We report three patients with postpartum presentation of bilateral TOH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three pregnant women who presented with acute bilateral hip pain just after delivering their first child are reported. None of them had any past history of joint problems, recent injury, alcohol abuse or corticosteroid administration. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations were performed on 1.5-Tesla magnets using standard protocols. RESULTS: Bone marrow oedema, with normal joint space and intact articular surfaces, was depicted in all six hips. MR imaging findings with clinical correlation confirmed the diagnosis of TOH. CONCLUSIONS: TOH associated with pregnancy does not necessarily occur in the third trimester of pregnancy and may be bilateral.