Myelodysplasia: The Daily PANCE Blueprint
An 85-year-old presents with pancytopenia. His blood smear demonstrates microcytic anemia and dysplastic neutrophils. His bone marrow results are pending. Which of the following is most likely true?
A. His bone marrow is likely to be hypercellular with dysplasia in all cell lines
B. He has a polycythemia vera due to an acquired JAK2 mutation
C. He has Hodgkins’ lymphoma that requires chemotherapy
D. His bone marrow is certainly aplastic
E. His illness is treated with plasmapheresis
Answer and topic summary
The answer is A. His bone marrow is likely to be hypercellular with dysplasia in all cell lines
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of hematologic cancers. They are typically characterized by abnormal cellular maturation, cytopenias, and clonal hematopoiesis. It occurs due to driver mutations in hematopoietic stem cells; the true mechanisms are unclear, but it is associated with chemotherapy, radiation, or environmental toxins. Clinical features include cytopenias (ai.e., anemia, thrombocytopenia, etc.), recurrent infections, autoimmune conditions, etc. Evaluation includes CBC with differential, blood smear, and bone marrow examination. Blood smears will often show dysplasia in the white and red, white blood cell series. Bone marrow is typically hypercellular and demonstrates multilineage or single-lineage dysplasia.
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Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint Hematology ⇒ ⇒
