Comparison of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody and magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of metastatic neuroblastoma in bone marrow: preliminary results.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was compared with iodine-131-labeled monoclonal antibody scanning for ability to detect bone marrow metastases in the spine, pelvis, and femurs of children with disseminated neuroblastoma. The five patients in this study had received high-dose chemotherapy and radiation, either with (N = 2) or without (N = 3) bone marrow transplants. MRI disclosed marrow abnormalities at all sites detected with the radiolabeled antibody, which is highly specific for neuroblastoma. However, several diffuse and multifocal marrow changes apparent on MR scans were not present on scintigrams, indicating that MRI is probably less specific than monoclonal antibody imaging. Both methods were more useful than conventional radiography, computed tomography, and 99mTc-MDP bone scans for identifying sites of marrow involvement by neuroblastoma.