Abstract
A patient is presented in whom a focal reduction in marrow activity in the lumbar spine on both leucocyte and nanocolloid marrow scintigraphy was subsequently shown to be due to fatty infiltration of marrow in association with disc degeneration. Degenerative disease in the lumbar spine has not been previously described as a cause of abnormal bone marrow distribution by such means and needs to distinguished from a more serious pathology, such as malignant infiltration and vertebral infection, which it may mimic. In a retrospective review of 33 nanocolloid bone marrow and 117 leucocyte scintigrams, 8 showed a degree of reduced marrow activity in the lumbar spine consistent with that caused by degenerative changes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Algra PR, Bloem JC, Falke THM, Arndt JN (1990) MRI and bone scintigraphy in the detection of vertebral metastases. SMRM Ninth Annual Meeting, New York, August 1990, book of abstracts volume 1, no. 46
Coleman RE, Welch D (1980) Possible pitfalls with clinical imaging of indium-111 leucocytes: concise communication. J Nucl Med 21:122
Datz FL (1987) Causes of cold defects on bone imaging. In: Gamuts in nuclear medicine, 2nd edn. Appleton and Lange, Connecticut
Datz FL, Thorne DA (1987) Cause and significance of cold bone defects on indium-111 labelled leucocyte imaging. J Nucl Med 28:820
Goergan TG, Alazraki NP, Halpern SE, Heath V, Ashburn WL (1974) “Cold” bone lesions: a newly recognised phenomenon of bone imaging. J Nucl Med 15:1120
Kerslake RW, Worthington BS (1991) MRI of the spine (editorial). Clin Radiol 43:227
Modic MT, Feiglin DH, Piraino DW, Baumphrey F, Weinstein MA, Duchesneau PM, Rehm S (1985) Vertebral osteomyelitis: assessment using MR. Radiology 157:157
Modic MT, Steinberg PM, Ross JS, Masaryk TJ, Carter JR (1988) Degenerative disk disease: assessment of changes in vertebral body marrow with MR imaging. Radiology 166:193
Modic MT, Masaryk TJ, Ross JS, Carter JR (1988) Imaging of degenerative disk disease. Radiology 168:177
Pu Mok Y, Carney W, Fernandez-Ulloa M (1984) Skeletal photopenic lesions in In-111 WBC imaging. J Nucl Med 25:1322
Quintet RJ, Hadlar NM (1979) Diagnosis and treatment of backache. Semin Arthritis Rheum 8:261
Smith AS, Weinstein MA, Mizushima A, Coughlin B, Hayden SP, Lakin MM, Lanzier CF (1989) MR imaging characteristics of tuberculous spondylitis versus vertebral osteomyelitis. Am J Neuroradiol 10:619
Smoker WRK, Godersky JC, Knutzon RK, Keyes WD, Norman D, Bergman W (1987) The role of MR imaging in evaluating metastatic spinal disease. AJR 149:1241
Spencer RP, Lee YS, Sziklas J, Rosenberg RJ, Mozaforeddin KK (1983) Failure of uptake of radiocolloid by the femoral heads: a diagnostic problem (concise communication). J Nucl Med 24:116
Szypryt EP, Hardy JG, Hinton CE, Mulholland RC, Worthington BS (1988) A comparison between MRI and scintigraphic bone imaging in the diagnosis of disc space infection in an animal model. Spine 12:1042
Thakur ML, Coleman RE, Welch MJ (1977) Indium labelled leukocytes for the localisation of sepsis: preparation, analysis, tissue distribution and comparison with gallium-67 citrate in dogs. J Lab Clin Med 89:217
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cooper, M., Miles, K.A., Wraight, E.P. et al. Degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine: another cause for focally reduced activity on marrow scintigraphy. Skeletal Radiol. 21, 247–249 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00243066
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00243066