Diagnostic and Prognostic Implications of Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Diagnosis in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic and prognostic role of baseline spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with multiple myeloma.Materials and MethodsWe enrolled patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma from 2004-2011 at a single center. Abnormal MRI findings that were not detected in radiographs have been analyzed and categorized as malignant compression fractures or extramedullary plasmacytoma. The bone marrow (BM) infiltration patterns on MRI have been classified into five categories.ResultsA total of 113 patients with a median age of 65 years (range, 40 to 89 years) were enrolled in the study. Malignant compression fractures not detected in the bone survey were found in 26 patients (23.0%), including three patients (2.6%) with no related symptoms or signs. Extramedullary plasmacytoma was detected in 22 patients (19.5%), including 15 (13.3%) with epidural extension of the tumor. Of these 22 patients, 11 (50.0%) had no relevant symptoms or signs. The presence of malignant compression fractures did not influence overall survival; whereas non-epidural extramedullary plasmacytoma was associated with poor overall survival in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 3.205; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.430 to 9.845; p=0.042). During the follow-up for a median of 21 months (range, 1 to 91 months), overall survival with the mixed BM infiltrative pattern (median, 24.0 months; 95% CI, 22.9 to 25.1 months) was shorter than those with other patterns (median 56 months; 95% CI, 48.9 to 63.1 months; p=0.030).ConclusionThese results indicate that spine MRI at the time of diagnosis is useful for detecting skeletal lesions and predicting the prognosis in patients with multiple myeloma.

Diagnostic value of whole-body ultra-low dose computed tomography in comparison with spinal magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of disease in multiple myeloma

“…Multiple myeloma (MM) represents the second most common haematological malignancies (10–15% of all) and 1% of all malignant diseases; it is characterized by a clonal proliferation of antibody‐secreting plasma cells in the bone marrow microenvironment. The proliferating plasma cells infiltrate the bone marrow, leading to replacement of the normal myelopoiesis, bone destruction and marrow failure (Ippolito et al , ; Sachpekidis et al , ; Song et al , ).…”

Medical image analysis of multiple myeloma based on convolutional neural network

“…In addition, the combination of different imaging sequences of WB‐MRI can ideally diagnose multiple myeloma. Research by Song et al proved that lumbar MRI can detect bone lesions in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients (Song et al, 2012), and has important value in assessing the prognosis of patients. Whole‐body MRI technology can detect intramedullary lesions and diffuse infiltrative lesions in patients with systemic myeloma, and has been widely used in patients with multiple myeloma.…”

Multimodality imaging of osseous involvement In haematological malignancies

“…According to a study of 113 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, spine MRI at the time of diagnosis was found useful in detecting malignancy-associated compression fractures and extramedullary myeloma, including epidural extension of the tumour. 25 Furthermore, extramedullary plasmacytoma was associated with poor overall survival.…”