Fatty replacement of bone marrow after radiation therapy for Hodgkin disease: quantification with chemical shift imaging

J Magn Reson Imaging. 1993 Jul-Aug;3(4):575-80. doi: 10.1002/jmri.1880030405.

Abstract

The authors studied the long-term fatty replacement of bone marrow in 23 patients who had received radiation therapy for Hodgkin disease, with T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and quantitative chemical shift imaging. T1-weighted images revealed a mostly homogeneous high-signal-intensity pattern, in contrast to the hypointense pattern of nonirradiated marrow. The degree of fatty replacement was objectively assessed with chemical shift imaging, comparing patients to age-matched healthy volunteers. The authors found an increase in relative fat signal of 37% in the thoracic spine and 34% in the lumbar spine. The relative fat signal of nonirradiated pelvic and femoral marrow was decreased by 8%, indicating marrow reconversion. No radiation dose dependence was found in the range from 25 to 50 Gy. No signs of marrow regeneration were observed 15-126 months after radiation therapy. With chemical shift imaging, the degree of long-term radiogenic fatty replacement of the bone marrow can be quantified, confirming the lack of regeneration after radiation therapy for Hodgkin disease.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Bone Marrow / radiation effects*
  • Female
  • Hematopoiesis / radiation effects*
  • Hodgkin Disease / pathology
  • Hodgkin Disease / radiotherapy*
  • Humans
  • Image Enhancement / methods
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male
  • Time Factors