Unusual bone marrow visualization with 99mTc-damaged erythrocytes.

A visualization of the bone marrow beside that of the spleen was obtained with 99mTc-labeled N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) damaged erythrocytes in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus. This phenomenon could be produced both with autologous and homologous red cells. The patient's NEM-damaged erythrocytes given to a healthy patient did not produce a visualization of the marrow. Such an observation was not present in a series of healthy persons and patients with different disorders to whom labeled and damaged erythrocytes were administered, and has not been reported in the literature so far.