Nonmyelomatous monoclonal gammopathy: correlation of bone marrow MR images with laboratory findings and spontaneous clinical outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of abnormal bone marrow magnetic resonance (MR) images in patients with nonmyelomatous monoclonal gammopathy and to compare the outcomes in patients with normal and in those with abnormal MR studies.


METHODS
In 37 patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined or borderline significance (19 men, 18 women; aged 28-85 years), MR imaging findings of the vertebral, pelvic, and femoral bone marrow were analyzed and correlated with initial laboratory findings and outcome after a follow-up of 15-60 months (median, 31 months) with no treatment.


RESULTS
Thirty patients had normal MR studies; none required specific therapy after a median follow-up of 30 months. Seven had either diffuse (n = 4) or focal (n = 3) bone marrow abnormalities. Four required treatment after 15, 20, 50, or 58 months; three did not require treatment after 18, 26, or 40 months. Treatment-free survival curves in patients with normal and in those with abnormal MR studies were statistically significantly different (P = .005).


CONCLUSIONS
Bone marrow abnormalities were detected with MR imaging in seven patients (19%) with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined or borderline significance. All patients with a normal MR investigation still had not required treatment after a median follow-up of 30 months.
Vande Berg
B C
BC
Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, St Luc University Hospital, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Michaux
L
L
Lecouvet
F E
FE
Labaisse
M
M
Malghem
J
J
Jamart
J
J
Maldague
B E
BE
Ferrant
A
A
Michaux
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008998:Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010265:Paraproteinemias / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy