[Immunoscintigraphy of bone marrow in plasmacytoma]

In 26 patients with plasmocytoma and 4 patients with benign monoclonal gammopathy bone marrow scintigraphy using 99mTc-labelled monoclonal antigranulocyte-antibodies was performed. Focal marrow defects were found in 18/26 patients with plasmocytoma but in none with benign monoclonal gammopathy. The results in plasmocytoma patients correlated well with the clinical staging system of Durie and Salmon. Quantification showed a suppressed bone marrow uptake ratio in 8/26 patients. A marked bone marrow expansion was present in only 2/26 patients. Bone marrow scintigraphy seems to be a valuable diagnostic tool in patients with plasmocytoma, especially as it is able to visualize the degree of bone marrow infiltration in a single protocol and so allows to follow up patients in a simple noninvasive manner.