Radiographic features of bone in several strains of laboratory mice and of their tumours induced by bone-seeking radionuclides.

The natural radiographic appearance of the various bones of the skeleton are described for several strains of laboratory mice. The Harwell substrains of CBA, A and 101 are generally similar and become osteoporotic on ageing. Harwell C57BL have similar, but more delicately chiseled, bones. Harwell C3H mice have bones with stouter cortices and may show osteosclerosis on ageing. CF1 females (donated by Dr M. Finkel) showed osteosclerosis and osteophytic outgrowths when aged. NMRI mice (donated by Dr A. Luz) appeared larger than the pure-strain Harwell mice. In general, mouse bones are simple tubular structures with an ivory cortex and a marrow cavity. Cancellous trabecular bone is scanty, even in vertebrae, flat bones and the metaphyses of long bones. Bone-seeking radionuclides administered to mice lead to skeletal tumours: (a) osteosarcomata, which are commonly radio-opaque to a variable degree owing to calcified tumour bone, but which may be osteolytic, (b) primitive mesenchymal (angio-) sarcomata which are non-osteogenic and osteolytic, (c) fibrosarcomata--which also are osteolytic--and to local or general lymphomata from irradiation of parental cells in bone marrow, but no special radiological features have been found associated with these last-named tumours.