A logical approach to bone marrow alterations is proposed that takes into account the high sensitivity and specificity of MR imaging for the detection of marrow fat. Marrow signal intensity on T1-weighted images is assumed to reflect the balance between fat and nonfat marrow components. Elementary patterns of marrow change include marrow depletion, infiltration, replacement and signal void. These patterns can be observed alone or in combination, and can be distributed in a focal or diffuse manner. Marrow depletion pattern shows high signal intensity reflecting increase in fat content and is frequently irrelevant clinically. Signal intensity is decreased in marrow infiltration, replacement and signal void patterns, which indicates partial or complete disappearance of fat. Focal marrow infiltration is frequently reactive to an adjacent abnormality, whereas focal marrow replacement more frequently indicates a more profound marrow alteration. The T1-weighted spin-echo sequence is satisfactory for lesion detection by virtue of its relatively high sensitivity in the detection of altered fat/nonfat marrow balance. T2-weighted sequences with saturation of the signal of fat protons or out-of-phase gradient-echo sequences improve lesion conspicuity in all situations in which the difference in fat/nonfat marrow balance between the abnormal area and the adjacent normal marrow is reduced.