MR, CT, and radionuclide skeletal imaging in stage IV neuroblastoma

The authors evaluated the effectiveness of MR imaging in detecting bone marrow metastases in the spine, pelvis, and femora of five patients with stage IV neuroblastoma treated by chemotherapy alone (three) or marrow transplant (two). All underwent radiography, CT, TC-MDP bone scanning, and I-131 monoclonal antibody (MCA) bone marrow imaging. MR images showed more extensive diffuse or focal marrow changes than radiographs, CT scans or Tc-MDP or MCA scans, but was unable to differentiate active tumor from nonneoplastic response to treatment