ABSTRACTpresent study was aimed at analyzing the different MRI patterns in order to develop and suggest a MRI-based prognostic scoring system (MPSS) for transplant-eligible MM patients. Methods SubjectsWe retrospectively assessed the wbMRI of 161 previously untreated transplant-eligible MM patients from our institution. Table S1. Sixty-seven patients had induction therapy without novel agents, 24 patients had an induction therapy including thalidomide, and 70 patients had an induction therapy including bortezomib. Ninety patients underwent single melphalan high-dose (200 mg/m 2 ) therapy and autologous blood stem cell transplantation, while 69 patients underwent tandem highdose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation. Maintenance therapy was administered to 82 patients, of whom 46 were given thalidomide, 19 bortezomib and 17 interferon. Retrospective data analysis was approved by the institutional ethics committee (Heidelberg, S247/2012).

• Diffuse MRI correlates with adverse cytogenetics, lowered haemoglobin and high tumour burden. • Higher numbers of MRI focal lesions correlate with increasing degree of bone destruction. • Focal lesions exceeding the cortical bone borderline significantly influence survival. • Moderate/severe diffuse infiltration and more than 23 focal lesions adversely affect survival.

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The aim of our study was to assess in which way different infiltration patterns of monoclonal plasma cell diseases in wholebody (wb) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are associated with clinical stages, plasma cell content in bone marrow samples and established serum markers of disease activity. Institutional review board approval was obtained. We performed wb-MRI in 547 consecutive, unselected and untreated patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS, n 5 138), smoldering myeloma (SMM, n 5 157) and multiple myeloma (MM, n 5 252) on two 1.5 T MRI-scanners with body array coils. The studies were evaluated in consensus by two experienced radiologists blinded to the diagnosis. We observed focal lesions in 23.9% (MGUS), 34.4% (SMM) and 81.3% (MM), respectively. A diffuse infiltration pattern was detected in 38.4%, 45.9% and 71%, respectively. The differences between all infiltration patterns were significant (p < 0.0001). The presence of focal lesions and the presence of a diffuse bone marrow infiltration was associated with an increased plasma cell percentage in bone marrow samples (median 22% vs. 14%, 26% vs. 10%, both p < 0.0001) and monoclonal protein concentration (median 18 g/dl vs. 13 g/dl, p 5 0.003, 20 g/dl vs. 11 g/dl, p < 0.0001). Further categorization of the diffuse infiltration patterns in wb-MRI into "salt-and-pepper," moderate and severe identified significant associations with M-protein (median g/dl for S1P/moderate/severe 23/18/25, p 5 0.04), plasma cell percentage in the bone marrow (median 25%/24%/40%, p 5 0.02), and age (median years 67/60/57, p < 0.0001). Bone marrow infiltration in wb-MRI is significantly different between the various stages of plasma cell disease and correlates well with established markers of disease activity.Monoclonal plasma cell diseases like multiple myeloma (MM), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering myeloma (SMM) are a group of hematologic premalignant or malignant disorders associated with monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells mainly in the bone marrow.1,2 Although MGUS, being the most common disorder of plasma cells and occurring in 2% of persons older than 50 years, has an overall annual risk of progression of only 1% per year, the rate of transformation of SMM to MM or systemic amyloidosis (AL) has been shown to be 10% per year in the first 5 years. [3][4][5][6] In the aforementioned monoclonal plasma cell disorders, the bone marrow involvement may be present in different patterns: diffuse bone marrow infiltration and focal lesions. Diffuse bone marrow infiltration is characterized by malignant plasma cells, mixed up with normal bone marrow cells, still preserving the cancellous bone structure. Focal lesions are circumscribed solid foci of plasma cells with the potential of destruction of the cancellous and cortical bone.To image these changes, plain radiographs (PRs), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are currently in routine use. 7 Although PR has been an integral part of...

The prevalence of osteoarthritis of the hand and wrist is high, and a thorough assessment of even subtle cartilage injuries is necessary before surgical interventions. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been established as an important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of hand and wrist disorders, the focus has been on the assessment of the triangular fibrocartilage complex, tendons, ligaments, and the detection of avascular necrosis or occult fractures rather than on cartilage imaging. 3-T MR systems have become more and more widely available and yield an improved signal-to-noise ratio and thus a higher spatial resolution than 1.5-T systems. In principle, this should be especially beneficial for depicting the thin cartilage layers of the hand and wrist. This review focuses on cartilage imaging of the hand and wrist with 3-T MRI and addresses these four topics: (1) the advantages of 3-T versus 1.5- and 1-T MRI, (2) dedicated sequence protocols at 3 T including novel three-dimensional sequences, (3) imaging findings in common cases of overuse or sports injury, and (4) functional cartilage imaging techniques of the hand and wrist, for instance, delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the cartilage.

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Orthopedic and trauma surgeons express the suspicion of an impingement syndrome based on patient history and physical examination and radiologists confirm structural changes and damage of intra-articular structures using dedicated imaging techniques.

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