Bone marrow imaging of bone marrow transplanted multiple myeloma patients.

Eighteen bone marrow transplanted multiple myeloma patients had imaging studies on 24 occasions with radiography as well as bone and bone marrow scintigraphy within 2 months. Twelve of the radionuclide bone marrow studies were performed with Tc-99m human serum albumin colloid and 12 were performed with a Tc-99m tagged monoclonal antigranulocyte antibody. The total detection rate of bone marrow lesions increased by 5% when the findings on bone marrow scintigraphy were combined with the findings and at radiography bone scintigraphy. For lesions in the spine and sacrum, the increase was 25% and 33% respectively, including patients with focal radiotherapy. Peripheral red bone marrow expansion was noted in 17 patients. In a comparison of Mab and Tc-99m HSA colloid imaging, Mab resulted in a higher bone marrow to soft tissue uptake and to a much smaller part of the skeleton being obscured by liver and spleen uptake. It is concluded that bone marrow imaging is valuable for showing red bone marrow distribution. It thereby shows possible sites for malignant lesions; it also shows that Mab imaging is superior to Tc-99m HSA colloid imaging in bone marrow transplanted multiple myeloma patients.