
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Myelodysplastic syndrome pathophysiology
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Myelodysplastic syndrome comprises a heterogeneous group of clonal bone marrow disorders.[1] Cytogenetic abnormalities involved in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome include isolated deletion of 5q, monosomy 7, and monosomy 8.[1] Myelodysplastic syndrome is associated with Fanconi syndrome, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, and Shwachman-Diamond syndrome.[2] There are no characteristic findings of myelodysplastic syndrome on gross pathology. On microscopic histopathological analysis, dyserythropoiesis, dysgranulopoiesis, and dysmegakaryocytopoiesis are findings of myelodysplastic syndrome.[1]
Pathogenesis
Pathogenesis
Myelodysplastic syndrome comprises a heterogeneous group of clonal bone marrow disorders characterized by:[3]
- Various degrees of pancytopenia
- Morphological and functional abnormalities of hematopoietic cells
- Increased risk of transformation into acute myeloid leukemia
Genetics
Genetics
Cytogenetic abnormalities involved in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome include:[1]
- Isolated deletion of 5q
- Isolated deletion of 17p
- Monosomy 7
- Monosomy 8
Gross Pathology
Gross Pathology
There are no characteristic findings of myelodysplastic syndrome on gross pathology.
Microscopic Pathology
Microscopic Pathology
On microscopic histopathological analysis, characteristic findings of myelodysplastic syndrome include:[1]
- Dyserythropoiesis (abnormal red blood cell formation)
- Dysgranulopoiesis (abnormal granulocyte formation)
- Dysmegakaryocytopoiesis (abnormal megakaryocyte formation)
Dyserythropoiesis
Nuclear Features
- Nuclear budding
- Intranuclear bridging (nuclei fail to separate post-division)
- Multinucleation
- Megablastoid changes (may be difficult to observe)
- Karyorrhexis (nuclear fragmentation)
Cytoplasmic Features
- Ring sideroblasts (red blood cells are surrounded by a ring of iron)
- Vacuolization
Dysgranulopoiesis
Nuclear Features
- Nuclear hypolobation (pseudo Pelger-Huët)
- Nuclear hypersegmentation
Cytoplasmic Features
- Cytoplasmic hypogranulation
- Pseudo-Chediak-Higashi granules
- Small cytoplasmic size
Dysmegakaryocytopoiesis
Nuclear Features
- Micromegakaryoctes with hypolobated nuclei
- Non-lobated nuclei of any size
- Multiple widely separated nuclear lobes
Immunohistochemistry
Immunohistochemistry
On immunohistochemistry, characteristic findings of myelodysplastic syndrome include:
- CD34 positive- (myeloid) progenitor/precursor cells
- CD117 positive- (myeloid) progenitor/precursor cells, mast cells
- Tryptase positive- mast cells, immature basophils
- CD61 positive- megakaryocytes
- CD42b positive- megakaryocytes
- CD20 positive- B cells
- CD3 positive- T cells
- Glycophorin A positive- erythroid cells
- Glycophorin C positive- erythroid cells
References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Cytogenetics of myelodysplastic syndromes. Librepathology (2015). http://librepathology.org/wiki/index.php/Myelodysplastic_syndromes. Accessed on December 8, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Associations of myelodysplastic syndromes. Librepathology (2015). http://librepathology.org/wiki/index.php/Myelodysplastic_syndromes. Accessed on December 8, 2015
- ↑ Corrêa de Souza, Daiane; de Souza Fernandez, CecÃlia; Camargo, Adriana; Apa, Alexandre Gustavo; Sobral da Costa, Elaine; Bouzas, Luis Fernando; Abdelhay, Eliana; de Souza Fernandez, Teresa (2014). “Cytogenetic as an Important Tool for Diagnosis and Prognosis for Patients with Hypocellular Primary Myelodysplastic Syndrome”. BioMed Research International. 2014: 1–10. doi:10.1155/2014/542395. ISSN 2314-6133.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Nawal Muazam M.D.[2]
