Evaluation of DCE-MRI postprocessing techniques to assess metastatic bone marrow in patients with prostate cancer

Abstract

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was performed in control patients with normal bone marrow and patients with untreated bone metastases of prostate cancer (PCa). Perfusion data were assessed using region of interest-based and pixel-wise current standard postprocessing techniques (signal intensity pattern, increase in signal intensity, upslope, time to peak, extended Kety model, k-means clustering). Bone marrow perfusion is significantly increased in bone metastases of PCa compared to normal bone marrow. Pixel-wise kinetic modeling should be recommended to assess tumoral processes affecting bone marrow microcirculation.