Kw. Carroll et al., USEFUL INTERNAL STANDARDS FOR DISTINGUISHING INFILTRATIVE MARROW PATHOLOGY FROM HEMATOPOIETIC MARROW AT MRI, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging, 7(2), 1997, pp. 394-398
The objective of this study was to establish internal standards on MRI
differentiating infiltrative marrow pathology from hematopoietic marr
ow, The T1-weighted images of 74 patients (51 biopsy-proven; 23 clinic
al follow-up) were reviewed retrospectively The relative signal intens
ity of bone marrow was compared to adjacent skeletal muscle (n = 65) a
nd/or nondegenerated intervertebral disk (n = 53). Twenty foci were hy
perintense compared to muscle, of which 17 (85%) cases represented nor
mal red marrow (P < .0001); 45 were isointense or hypointense compared
to muscle, of which 44 (98%) represented infiltrative marrow processe
s (P < .0001), Twelve were hyperintense compared to disk, of which 12
(100%) represented normal red marrow (P < .0001); 41 were isointense o
r hypointense compared to disk, of which 40 (98%) represented infiltra
tive marrow processes (P .0001). On T1-weighted spin-echo MRI, skeleta
l muscle and intervertebral disk may serve as internal standards for d
ifferentiating infiltrative pathology from normal hematopoietic marrow
, Marrow lesions that are relatively isointense or hypointense to musc
le and/or disk should not be considered normal hematopoietic marrow.