This study evaluated the usefulness of 3-T Magnetic Resonance (MR) spectroscopy of the bone marrow, correlated with the pre- and post-transplant blood parameters, to obtain, information on the composition and possible physiological and pathological changes in vertebrae bone marrow before, during and after treatment in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

Twelve NHL patients who were candidates for BMT underwent three MR examinations of the lumbosacral spine: before ablative therapy for BMT, 15±4 days and 54±24 days after BMT. The MR study was supplemented by spectroscopic analysis. The lipid content was calculated and expressed as a percentage of lipid signal intensity relative to total signal intensity [fat fraction (FF)].

In the first MR study, the FF was 62.5±7%, in the second it was 70.75±5% and in the third it was 75±1%. We observed a statistically significant difference between FF values calculated at the various MR studies (p=0.02) and between red blood cell count (p=0.017), platelet count (p=0.003) andhaematocrit (p<0.001) at the three MR studies. FF had a statistically significant correlation with the number of circulating platelets (p<0.01).

MR spectroscopy of the bone marrow in NHL patients treated with autologous stem cell transplantation is a non- invasive modality that is highly sensitive for characterising and monitoring bone marrow following transplantation.

Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Imaging Molecolare, Radiologia Interventistica e Radioterapia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “ Tor Vergata ”, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Roma, Italy Chairman : Prof: R.Floris