Reticuloendothelial Scans in Disorders Involving the Bone Marrow

Reticuloendothelial (RE) scans were performed on 58 patients with diseases affecting the bone marrow. All leukemic patients had decreased marrow activity and variable degrees of hepatosplenomegaly. The pattern of RE marrow activity in patients with lymphomas was variable but focal defects on marrow scan were usually associated with histologic evidence of lymphoma in the marrow. Decreased RE marrow activity occurred in multiple myeloma and two patients had focal defects on scan when skeletal x-rays were normal. Hemolytic or hemorrhagic anemias were associated with increased RE marrow activity but scans in aplastic anemia were normal. Myelophthisic anemia and myelofibrosis were associated with decreased central marrow activity and peripheral expansion of the marrow space. Fifty percent of patients with terminal renal disease had decreased RE marrow activity. Certain patterns of RE activity and distribution have been established for some disorders but these patterns may not always reflect the distribution or activity of hemopoietic tissue.