Background
Bone disease in multiple myeloma is characterized by reduced bone formation. The gold standard of bone formation is the mineral apposition rate (MAR), an invasive technique reflecting bone formation at a single site. We compared 18F-fluoride-PET with the MAR in myeloma patients.
Methods
Bone formation was measured before and after bortezomib treatment by determination of the MAR in iliac bone marrow biopsies and the measurement of 18F-uptake.
Results
The inter- and intra-individual variations in 18F-uptake (SUVA50%) were pronounced as 33.50 (range 4.42 to 37.92) and 27.18 (range 4.00 to 31.18), respectively. A significant correlation between the MAR and 18F-uptake was found (r = 0.80, p = 0.017). There was a heterogeneous response after treatment varying from −2.20 to 4.53.
Conclusions
Iliac 18F-uptake was associated with the local MAR in myeloma patients. Furthermore, 18F-fluoride-PET demonstrated the heterogeneity of in vivo bone formation, enabling monitoring during treatment.