Prevalence of bone marrow necrosis in Egyptian cancer patients referring to the National Cancer Institute

BackgroundBone marrow necrosis is a relatively rare entity which has been associated with a poor prognosis. It is most commonly found in patients with neoplastic disorders and severe infections.MethodsThe study comprised examination of 5043 bone marrow biopsy specimens performed at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, over 7 years period (March 2004–March 2011). It included 5 years retrospective (2867 archived samples) and 2 years prospective (2176 samples).ResultsBone marrow necrosis was diagnosed in fifteen out of 5043 examined specimens with a percentage of 0.3% and ranged from mild to massive according to semiquantitative estimation. Prognosis of all patients was poor with survival not exceeding 6 months from the date of marrow necrosis diagnosis.ConclusionIn Egyptian patients, bone marrow necrosis in association with malignancy is a rare disorder which is accompanied by a poor outcome.