Age- and sex-specific differences in the H-1-spectrum of vertebral bone marrow

Correct interpretation of H-1 magnetic resonance (AM) studies of the red ve rtebral bone marrow in patients with disorders of the hematopoietic system requires knowledge of the dependence of the proton spectrum on age and sex. Infiltration of malignant cells causes a decreased red bone marrow fat sig nal, which is reversed upon successful treatment. The aim of this study was to establish a database of normal water/fat relations from a large group o f volunteers. In all, 154 healthy volunteers from 11 to 95 years of age wer e examined using a 1.5-T MR system (ACS-NT, Philips). A volume of 2-8 ml In the center of a normal vertebral body was selected for spectroscopy using the PRESS sequence without water suppression (TR/TE 2 sec/40 msec). Signal Intensities and T2 times of lipid and water resonances were determined. The relative fat signal intensity was calculated corrected for T2 relaxation. The relative proportion of protons in the fat signal Increases with age fro m 24% in the age group 11-20 years to 54% in the group greater than or equa l to 61 years. The proportion of fat in the vertebral bone marrow in female subjects is less than that in male subjects In the same age group (statist ically significant at P less than or equal to 0.01). In the central age gro up between 31 and 50 years, the difference is largest, at 12%; in the young est and oldest age group this difference is small. T2 times are neither age nor sex dependent. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.