Abstract
Multilineage dysplasia was advanced by the World Health Organization to increase prognostic accuracy in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) classification. We performed a structured cytomorphological examination of bone marrow (BM) in 221 low-grade MDS patients, this in conjunction with strict guidelines for cytopenias. A dysplasia scoring system was developed utilizing dysplastic changes, which were associated with worse outcome on univariate and multivariate analysis corrected for the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS). Dysplasia ⩾10% in one BM lineage and one cytopenia constituted the low-risk category UCUD or Unilineage Cytopenia and Unilineage Dysplasia. The high-risk category comprised patients with cytopenia in ⩾2 lineages and dysplasia in ⩾2 BM lineages, namely MCMD or Multilineage Cytopenia and Multilineage Dysplasia. Intermediate-risk patients had one cytopenia and multilineage dysplasia, or cytopenia in ⩾2 lineages and unilineage BM dysplasia, designated UCMD/MCUD or Unilineage Cytopenia and Multilineage Dysplasia/Multilineage Cytopenia and Unilineage Dysplasia. This system utilizing cytopenia–dysplasia scoring at diagnosis enabled comprehensive categorization of low-grade MDS cases that predicted for overall as well as leukemia-free survival. Cytopenia–dysplasia categorization added additional prognostic values to the lower risk IPSS categories. This suggests that a standardized dysplasia scoring system, used in conjunction with cytopenia, could improve diagnostic and prognostic sub-categorization of MDS patients.
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Verburgh, E., Achten, R., Louw, V. et al. A new disease categorization of low-grade myelodysplastic syndromes based on the expression of cytopenia and dysplasia in one versus more than one lineage improves on the WHO classification. Leukemia 21, 668–677 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404564
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404564
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