title: Degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine: another cause for focally reduced activity on marrow scintigraphy.
abstract: A patient is presented in whom a focal reduction in marrow activity in the lumbar spine on both leucocyte and nanocolloid marrow scintigraphy was subsequently shown to be due to fatty infiltration of marrow in association with disc degeneration. Degenerative disease in the lumbar spine has not been previously described as a cause of abnormal bone marrow distribution by such means and needs to distinguished from a more serious pathology, such as malignant infiltration and vertebral infection, which it may mimic. In a retrospective review of 33 nanocolloid bone marrow and 117 leucocyte scintigrams, 8 showed a degree of reduced marrow activity in the lumbar spine consistent with that caused by degenerative changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Addenbrookes Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Wraight
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Dixon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*