Bone marrow biopsy is recommended for staging of classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The aim of this study was to compare bone marrow evaluation by histology with that obtained by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). One hundred and three cases of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma were reviewed. All patients were submitted to FDG-PET evaluation. Bone marrow biopsy results were compared with clinical data and FDG-PET results. Ninety-one cases had available bone marrow biopsies. Overall, there were 16 positive and one suspect case. In five cases, the FDG-PET scan was positive and biopsy was negative: 1/5 was found to correspond to a bone fracture, 3/5 showed marked reactive bone marrow changes and in 1/5 no explanation for the discrepancy was found. FDG-PET showed high sensitivity, supporting the idea that when it is negative, biopsy could be avoided. Care should be taken in patients with a positive FDG-PET, where confirmation by bone marrow biopsy should be recommended.
Keywords: Lymphoma and Hodgkin disease; morphology; prognostication.