[Acute hip pain in the adult--assessment by magnetic resonance tomography].

Using the modern cross-sectional imaging technique of MRI, significant improvement has been achieved in the early diagnosis of acute hip diseases, such as avascular femoral head necrosis, transient osteoporosis, coxitis, and tumors, the demarcation of which can be seen by MRI. Studies with MRI in patients with transient osteoporosis have revealed three stages during the clinical course. The focal stage is similar to femoral head necrosis, but always without the typical sclerotic rim. To obtain complete remission, transient osteoporosis only requires immobilization. There are difficulties in diagnosing infected and neoplastic processes.