Abstract
Bone marrow is a ubiquitous component of musculoskeletal imaging studies. The ability
to identify and characterize pathology accurately in the bone marrow can be challenging
given the broad spectrum of imaging features of normal bone marrow. Knowledge regarding
the ability to differentiate normal from abnormal marrow has been enhanced with MR
imaging with numerous techniques available to aid in distinguishing benign from malignant
lesions in the bone marrow. T1-weighted fast spin echo (FSE) and fluid-sensitive sequences,
fat-saturated T2-weighted FSE, and short tau inversion recovery provide valuable tools
for the evaluation of a focal bone marrow lesion. Gadolinium enhancement, chemical
shift, diffusion-weighted, and MR spectroscopy imaging are additional tools available
for focal bone marrow lesion evaluation. Whole-body MRI and fluorodeoxyglucose positron
emission tomography-computed tomography have evolved to be useful studies for staging
and monitoring of therapeutic response in whole-body imaging. The relative advantages
and disadvantages of the whole-body techniques are reviewed for metastases, myeloma,
and lymphoma.
Keywords
bone marrow - MRI - bone neoplasm - whole-body MRI - PET-CT