Objective: The objective of our study was to identify the early MRI findings characteristic of idiopathic chondrolysis of the hip in children.
Conclusion: A geometric region of abnormal signal intensity centered in the proximal femoral epiphysis, accompanied by ipsilateral ill-defined acetabular bone marrow edema, mild synovial hypertrophy, and minimal if any joint fluid, in a child with a painful stiff hip are early MRI findings characteristic of idiopathic chondrolysis.