Magnetic resonance imaging of bone marrow in oncology, Part 2.

Magnetic resonance imaging plays an integral role in the detection and characterization of marrow lesions, planning for biopsy or surgery, and post-treatment follow-up. To evaluate findings in bone marrow on MR imaging, it is essential to understand the normal composition and distribution of bone marrow and the changes in marrow that occur with age, as well as the basis for the MR signals from marrow and the factors that affect those signals; these points have been reviewed and illustrated in part 1 of this two-part article. Part 2 will emphasize the practical application of MR imaging to facilitate differentiation of normal marrow, tumor, and treatment-related marrow changes in oncology patients, and will review complementary MR techniques under development.