The significance of bone marrow cell morphology and its correlation with cytogenetic features in the diagnosis of MDS-RA patients

Besides cytopenia, dysplasia is crucial characteristic of MDS-RA. To summarize the morphological features that contribute to the diagnosis of MDS-RA, 48 RA patients with abnormal karyotype were analyzed for the features of morphological and cytogenetical abnormalities and the relationships between them. 46 MDS-RA patients with normal karyotype and 207 patients with non-MDS anemia were enrolled into control groups. More conspicuous and diverse dysplasia can be found in abnormal karyotype MDS-RA than those in control groups (P < 0.05). Apparent dysplasia in granulocyte and megakaryocytoid lineages may provide valuable evidence for the diagnosis. Dysplasia occurred more frequently in patients with severe chromosome abnormalities.