A study of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging features and influence factors of pelvic bone marrow in adult females.

Perfusion of the pelvic bone marrow is reduced in the postmenopausal group and with age. Quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI could reflect the blood supply characteristics and hemodynamic changes of the pelvic bone marrow. These results contribute to the description of osteoporosis in the postmenopausal females and the elderly.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the effect of menstrual status and age on the perfusion of pelvic bone marrow in adult females using quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI).

METHODS: In total, 96 adult females who underwent DCE-MRI between September 2017 and December 2017 were included. All the subjects' quantitative DCE-MRI parameters of pelvic bone marrow were measured and retrospectively analyzed, including Ktrans (volume transfer constant), Kep (efflux rate constant), and Ve (interstitial volume). According to their menstrual status, the subjects were divided into a premenopausal group (n = 39) and a postmenopausal group (n = 57), and the two groups were then divided into four subgroups according to age. The intraobserver reliability was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The parameters were compared between different menstrual status groups and age subgroups by Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the age and the quantitative parameters.

RESULTS: The ICCs of the Ktrans , Kep , and Ve values were 0.989, 0.974, and 0.920, respectively. Ktrans , Kep , and Ve of the premenopausal group were significantly higher than those of the postmenopausal group (P < 0.05). The overall age was negatively correlated with Ktrans , Kep , and Ve (r = - 0.590, - 0.357, and - 0.381, respectively, P < 0.05). In the premenopausal group, Ktrans and Ve were significantly higher in subgroup 1 (≤ 40 years) compared with subgroup 2 (> 40 years) (P < 0.05), and age showed a negative correlation with Ktrans and Ve (r = - 0.344 and - 0.334, respectively, P < 0.05). In the postmenopausal group, Ktrans and Kep were significantly higher in subgroup 3 (≤ 60 years) compared with subgroup 4 (> 60 years) (P < 0.05), and age showed a negative correlation with Ktrans and Kep (r = - 0.460 and - 0.303, respectively, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Menstrual status and age have significant effects on the perfusion of the pelvic bone marrow microenvironment in adult females and that the microenvironment of the pelvic bone marrow displays different changes at different age stages. Quantitative DCE-MRI has contributed to the interpretation of the pelvic bone marrow perfusion status.