title: Magnetic resonance imaging of disseminated bone marrow disease in patients treated for malignancy.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a sensitive method for the diagnosis of bone marrow abnormalities, but its usefulness in detecting active disseminated cancer in this tissue in treated patients has not been determined. We therefore examined 14 children who had been treated for disseminated bone marrow involvement by neuroblastoma (n = 6), lymphoma (n = 3), Ewing's sarcoma (n = 3), osteosarcoma (n = 1), and leukemia (n = 1). MRI studies were performed at 21 marrow sites to evaluate residual or recurrent tumor and were correlated with histologic material from the same site. T1- and T2-weighted sequences were employed in 21 and 14 studies, respectively; short tau inversion recovery (STIR) in 18; and static gadolinium diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DPTA)-enhanced. T1-weighted sequences in 13. All MRI studies showed an altered bone marrow signal. Technetium 99m methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) bone scintigraphy was also performed (19 studies). On histologic examination, 7 marrow specimens contained tumor, and 14 did not. Of the 7 tumor-positive lesions, all T1-weighted, 4 of 6 T2-weighted, and all 6 STIR sequences showed abnormal signal; all 5 Gd-DTPA-enhanced. T1-weighted sequences showed enhancement of the lesion. However, abnormal signals were also observed on all T1-weighted, 6 of 8 T2-weighted, 11 of 12 STIR, and 5 of 8 Gd-DTPA-enhanced, T1-weighted images of the tumor-negative sites. In this clinical setting, MRI did not consistently differentiate changes associated with treatment from malignant disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38101.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hanna
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Fairclough
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Le
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D005355:Fibrosis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009336:Necrosis; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D013669:Technetium Tc 99m Medronate