The purpose of this study was to test the value of the Ann Arbor staging procedures committee criteria in defining a group of newly diagnosed patients with Hodgkin disease who do not have involvement of the bone marrow and do not need this procedure performed. One hundred sixty-six bilateral and 16 unilateral trephine bone marrow biopsies were performed in a consecutive series of 182 patients undergoing initial staging for Hodgkin disease. Bone marrow involvement was found in 13 patients. Advanced stage, defined as stage III or IV, occurring in 92%, anemia occurring in 100%, and "B" symptoms present in 100% were found to be the most sensitive indicators for bone marrow involvement. Osseous disease (99%), platelet count less than 150,000/mm3 (98%), and WBC less than 4,800/mm3 (94%) were the most specific parameters. The known association of bone marrow involvement with older patients, lymphocyte depleted histology, lower blood cell counts, anemia, advanced stage, and poorer survival is verified. The Ann Arbor staging procedures committee criteria for performing a bone marrow biopsy were shown to be 100% sensitive and 40% specific. Use of these criteria would have found all 13 patients with bone marrow involvement. Of the 73 patients who did not meet the criteria, no patient had bone marrow involvement. Use of the Ann Arbor staging procedures committee criteria is recommended.