The use of a whole body counter for measuring bone marrow erythroid activity by profile scanning

Profile scanning was used to determine the distribution of /sup 59/Fe within the body, as an assessment of bone marrow ability to produce red cells. A brief description is presented of the adaptation of a whole-body counter with scanning bed geometry, by the addition of slit collimators to two detectors. A measure of bone marrow erythroid activity was made by estimating radioiron in the pelvic region 21 hr. after intravenous injection of /sup 59/Fe. In 11 normal subjects, the pelvic erythroid activity ranged from 38 to 48%, while the 14-day red cell iron utilization ranged from 81 to 100%. In one case each of myelosclerosis, red cell aplasia, and acute myeloblastic leukemia, there was insignificant pelvic marrow uptake. In two cases each of disseminated carcinoma and Hodgkin's disease, one case of iron deficiency anaemia and one of chronic lymphatic leukemia, the pelvic fraction varied between 16 and 43%. (UK)