Acute vertebral compression fractures in patients with multiple myeloma: evaluation of vertebral body edema patterns on MR imaging and the implications for vertebroplasty.

The presence of edema on MR imaging is a common finding in acute or subacute vertebral body compression fractures. Compression fractures can present in patients with benign osteoporosis, metastases, multiple myeloma, or hemangiomas. We present 2 patients with multiple myeloma who had symptomatic acute and subacute compression fractures documented on imaging studies without associated edema on MR imaging evaluation.