[Bone marrow reconversion and magnetic resonance imaging: case report].
BACKGROUND
Bone marrow is divided into red marrow mainly constituted of hemopoietic cells and fatty yellow marrow. In some situations, yellow marrow may be converted into red marrow and this process is called marrow reconversion. Magnetic resonance imaging may be misleading with an invading bone marrow neoplastic process.


METHODS
We report a patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with vertebral invasion. Clinical features at presentation were misleading with lower limbs migratory pain suggestive of inflammatory myositis. An MRI study of thigh muscles revealed femoral nodular lesions suggestive of bone marrow reconversion.


CONCLUSIONS
Bone marrow reconversion is a physiologic and reversible process. Awareness of its radiographic features may help to avoid a diagnostic biopsy procedure.
Manceron
V
V
Service de médecine interne, hôpital Louis-Mourier, 178, rue des Renouillers, 92701 Colombes, France. veronique.manceron@lmr.ap-hop-paris.fr
Guignard
S
S
de Broucker
F
F
Paycha
F
F
Pouchot
J
J
Vinceneux
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D019046:Bone Marrow Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009220:Myositis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology