Abstract
A bone marrow biopsy is essential for the initial diagnosis of AL amyloidosis. A bone marrow biopsy is also important in establishing a baseline for treatment and is one of the factors in predicting prognosis. The bone marrow biopsy can be used in assessing for the presence of amyloid, estimating the plasma cell volume, and determining whether a clonal amyloidogenic plasma cell population is present or not. In tandem with other studies, bone marrow biopsies can also be used to monitor treatment and assess for complete response, partial response, or no response to the various therapies being used in AL amyloidosis. A bone marrow aspirate can supplement the biopsy for use in flow cytometry in determining the presence of a clonal plasma cell population and for use in cytogenetics. With the precedent being set with multiple myeloma, greater understanding of cytogenetic abnormalities is being discovered in AL amyloidosis and may play a role in prognosis and treatment. The following chapter will discuss the workup that we employ in bone marrow biopsies from suspected or confirmed AL amyloidosis patients and some of the new discoveries being made in AL amyloidosis using bone marrow specimens.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
