Some observations on the use of computerised tomography in Legg-Calve-Perthes' disease.

The use of computerised tomography in the assessment of hip pathologies in children is an uncommonly used modality. To date, we were unable to find any definite work on the use of CAT scan investigations in LCPD. Ten children with Legg-Calve-Perthes' disease were reassessed by two-plane AP and lateral radiographs and by computerised tomography. The findings strongly suggest that computerised axial tomography is an important modality capable of providing more detailed information on the distorted anatomy, magnitude and severity of the disruptive process in the femoral head. This modality demonstrated the presence of fragmentation and cyst formation in the femoral head even if two-plane radiographs appeared to be normal.