3-Tesla MR spectroscopy in patients subjected to bone marrow transplantation: clinical correlations.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the usefulness of 3-Tesla magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT).


METHODS
Twelve NHL patients who were candidates for BMT underwent three MR examinations of the lumbosacral spine: before ablative therapy for BMT, 15±4 days and 54±24 days after BMT. The MR study was supplemented by spectroscopic analysis. The lipid content was calculated and expressed as a percentage of lipid signal intensity relative to total signal intensity [fat fraction (FF)].


RESULTS
In the first MR study, the FF was 62.5±7%, in the second it was 70.75±5% and in the third it was 75±1%. We observed a statistically significant difference between FF values calculated at the various MR studies (p=0.02) and between red blood cell count (p=0.017), platelet count (p=0.003) and haematocrit (p<0.001) at the three MR studies. FF had a statistically significant correlation with the number of circulating platelets (p<0.01)


CONCLUSIONS
MR spectroscopy of the bone marrow of NHL patients undergoing BMT is noninvasive and highly sensitive for characterising and monitoring bone marrow after BMT.
Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Imaging Molecolare, Radiologia Interventistica e Radioterapia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford 81, 00133, Roma, Italy. sergiacomi@med.uniroma2.it
G
G
Sergiacomi
E
E
Gaspari
A
A
Taglieri
A
A
Meschini
V
V
Gisone
L
L
Cudillo
W
W
Arcese
G
G
Simonetti
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count
D008055:Lipids