Severe osteoporosis and multiple fractures in an AIDS patient treated with short-term steroids for lymphoma: a need for guidelines.

An HIV-1 infected patient on dual protease inhibitor treatment developed spontaneous vertebral fractures and avascular necrosis of the femoral bone after receiving combined chemotherapy for Burkitt's lymphoma including short-term prednisolone. The factors involved in the pathogenesis of osteopaenia and osteoporosis in this case are discussed and we propose the need for guidelines in order to reduce the incidence of such events in HIV-infected patients in the future.