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ABSTRACT: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders primarily seen in the elderly that are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and a propensity to develop AML. Clinicians may be hesitant to refer older patients with unexplained cytopenias and/or macrocytosis for a bone marrow biopsy (BM), and consequently undiagnosed patients may be deprived access to effective treatments. Previously, we described factors which were independently predictive of a diagnosis of MDS at time of bone marrow: age ≥65, mean cell volume (MCV), red cell distribution width (RDW), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and suggested a scoring system to calculate the post-test probability of MDS [1]. In this study we validate this scoring system in a cohort of 313 individuals who underwent bone marrow examinations for the investigation of unexplained cytopenias and or macrocytosis over a 3 year period at our institution (2006-2008). Thirty-two percent of all patients were diagnosed with MDS and 9% had suspected MDS. The post-test likelihood of a diagnosis of MDS increased from 12% when none of the four identified factors were present to 48% when 3 or more factors were present. This scoring system can be used to guide the diagnostic testing of patients presenting with unexplained cytopenias or macrocytosis.
Leukemia research 06/2011; 35(10):1335-8. · 2.36 Impact Factor
