Evaluation of severity in aplastic anemia by MR imaging

To evaluate the role of bone marrow (BM) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for assessment of the severity of aplastic anemia (AA). Eighty patients with AA, ranging in age from 16 to 44 years underwent MR imaging. Fifty four patients had clinically severe AA(SAA), while in 26 the condition was moderate(MAA). Sagittal T1-weighted images (T1WI) and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) images of lumbar vertebral BM were analysed. Bulk T1, T2 and rho values (msec) were also measured, with mixed sequences. Signal intensity (SI) on both T1WI and STIR was classified into four patterns according to the amount fatty marrow : pattern I, homogeneous fatty marrow ; 2, fatty marrow with focal cellular nodules ; 3, mixed fatty and cellular marrow ; 4, cellular marrow with focal fatty nodules. These SI patterns and bulk T1, T2 and rho values of the lumbar BM were compared with the clinical severity of AA. On both T1WI and STIR sequences, MR imaging of lumbar vertebral BM in patients with AA showed various SI patterns. Pattern 1, 2 and 3 were much frequently seen in the SAA group (48 of 54 patients on T1WI and 43 of 54 on STIR) and pattern 4 was common in the MAA group (16 of 26 patients on T1WI and 18 of 26 on STIR). The SI patterns of AA seen on both T1WI and STIR sequences closely correlated with clinical severity (x 2 test, p=0.0001). Bulk T1 value was significantly different between SAA and MAA (SAA : 382.82msec ± 113.91 ; MAA : 517.99msec ± 151.92 ; t test, p=0.0001). The SI pattern seen on MR imaging, and T1 relaxation time of lumbar spinal BM can be useful for assessing the severity of AA