Bone marrow examination in Egyptian patients with bicytopenia/pancytopenia

Abstract

The incidences of diseases that cause peripheral blood (PB) cytopenias differ between countries according to the prevalent health problems. This study was carried out in order to identify bone marrow findings and underlying disorders in adult Egyptian patients with PB cytopenias (bicytopenia and pancytopenia). The study involved patients newly diagnosed as having PB cytopenias over a period of 1 year. Clinical and hematological parameters of patients were recorded. Bone marrow specimens were examined. Sixty-two pancytopenia and 50 bicytopenia patients were included in the study. The most common cause of pancytopenia was clonal hematopoietic disorders (34 %), hypersplenism (27 %), and aplastic anemia (21 %). The most common cause of bicytopenia was clonal hematopoietic disorders (34 %), ITP (24 %), and hypersplenism (18 %). Lymphoid neoplasms were the most common and account for 57 % of clonal pancytopenia patients and 65 % of clonal bicytopenia patients. Most hypersplenism patients (86 %) had history of hepatitis C viral infection. Our results show that, in Egypt, clonal hematopoietic disorders, hypersplenism due to chronic liver disease, ITP, and aplastic anemia are the common causes of PB cytopenias. In our setting, causes underlying bicytopenia are as important as those of pancytopenia.