Bone marrow patterns in aplastic anemia: observations with 1.5-T MR imaging.

Six patients diagnosed as having aplastic anemia underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The bone marrow in the lumbar spine, pelvis, and proximal femora was examined in each case. One patient had a normal marrow signal intensity (SI) and pattern and was considered cured of disease. The other patients had varying numbers of focal low-SI areas interspersed with high-SI areas in the marrow of the spine. The pelves and proximal femora of all patients had diffuse high-SI marrow without focal abnormalities. Biopsy of a lumbar vertebral body in one patient demonstrated that the focal low-SI areas may have been islands of active hematopoietic cells scattered in otherwise fatty marrow. MR may prove to be a valuable, noninvasive method of following the response of patients with aplastic anemia to therapy; more investigation is necessary before this can be definitely concluded.