MR signal changes in bone marrow of mandible in hematologic disorders.

OBJECTIVE

Signal intensity changes in bone marrow of the mandible were observed in cases with hematologic disorders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using MRI, bone marrow intensity of the mandible was observed in six patients with polycythemia vera, acute leukemia, myelofibrosis, and malignant lymphoma. A control group was also evaluated for comparison.

RESULTS

The bone marrow of the condyloid process of the mandible converts to yellow marrow in early childhood. Therefore, T1-weighted imaging showed the marrow of the mandible to have a high signal intensity similar to that of fat in the control cases. In contrast, the bone marrow of the mandible in the patients exhibited lower intensity than that of fat and was enhanced after Gd-DTPA injection.

CONCLUSION

In hematologic diseases MRI detected the signal changes of the mandible. More attention should be focused on the marrow intensity of the mandible in the routine cranial MR examinations in patients with hematologic disorders.