Imaging of multiple myeloma: Current concepts

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Medical imaging is essential for diagnosing multiple myeloma (MM) and differentiating it from other plasma cell disorders.
• Conventional radiography is the standard but has limitations in sensitivity, specificity, and detecting extraosseous lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the roles of various medical imaging modalities in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment monitoring of multiple myeloma.
• To compare the diagnostic capabilities of conventional radiography, low-dose CT, MRI, and PET/CT for MM.

Main Methods:

• Review of current evidence on the use of conventional radiography, whole-body low-dose CT, whole-body MRI, and (18)F-FDG PET/CT in multiple myeloma.
• Comparison of sensitivity and specificity for detecting osseous and extraosseous lesions.

Main Results:

• Whole-body low-dose CT shows higher sensitivity than conventional radiography for osseous and extraosseous lesions.
• Whole-body MRI and (18)F-FDG PET/CT offer the highest sensitivity for detecting bone marrow disease and extraosseous lesions.
• MRI is most sensitive for initial staging, while (18)F-FDG PET/CT is effective for treatment monitoring.

Conclusions:

• Advanced imaging modalities like MRI and PET/CT are increasingly important for comprehensive MM assessment.
• Further research is needed to define the optimal role of each imaging technique for risk stratification and therapy monitoring in MM.