[Magnetic resonance imaging of bone infarction. Apropos of 2 cases].

Bone infarcts, generally clinically latent, are only identified late in there course on x-rays, which reveal dense, irregular shadows resembling puffs of smoke situated in the metaphyso-diaphyseal regions of the long bones. Occasionally, they may be responsible for pain and are suggestive of neoplastic degeneration. MRI examination is valuable in these cases. Like necrosis of the femoral head, bone infarcts are demonstrated early in their course by MRI, which reveals zones of reduced signal with irregular margins with scattered areas of increased signal of fat intensity.