[Legg-Calve-Perthes disease--a mysterious hip joint disease in children. Diagnosis, investigation and treatment].
The major challenge to the attending physician in cases of children with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) is to prevent the development of degenerative arthritis of the hip joint. In the presence of unfavourable prognostic factors such as lateral subluxation or more than 50 per cent necrosis of the femoral head, the examination should be complemented by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), and operative treatment be considered. Treatment is commonly based on the principle of containment of the femoral head to prevent its deformity. However, there is no consensus as to the treatment of LCPS, and as the aetiology remains unknown the optimal treatment is similarly unclear.