Indium-111 chloride bone marrow imaging in chronic renal disease

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Hematology
• Nuclear Medicine

Background:

• Anemia is a common complication in patients with chronic renal disease (CRD) undergoing hemodialysis.
• Assessing bone marrow function, particularly erythropoiesis, is crucial for managing anemia in CRD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of In-111 chloride bone marrow imaging in assessing erythroid marrow cellularity in patients with anemia and CRD on hemodialysis.
• To determine if In-111 chloride bone marrow scans correlate with bone marrow core biopsy findings.

Main Methods:

• Eight patients with anemia and CRD on chronic hemodialysis were included.
• Patients underwent In-111 chloride bone marrow imaging.
• Bone marrow core biopsies were performed for comparison.

Main Results:

• No correlation was observed between the erythrocyte cellularity of the bone marrow and the grade of the In-111 chloride bone marrow scan in any patient.
• The imaging technique did not accurately reflect the actual state of erythroid marrow.

Conclusions:

• In-111 chloride bone marrow imaging is not a suitable method for indicating the presence or extent of erythroid marrow in patients with anemia and chronic renal disease on hemodialysis.
• Clinical decisions regarding erythropoiesis in these patients should not rely on this imaging modality.