Bone Marrow Disease Profile in Geriatric Patients: An Institutional Experience

Bone marrow examination is integral to the diagnosis of hematological and many non-hematologic disorders. With increase in the elderly population, rise in the incidence of age-related health conditions is being observed. There are few published studies on the disorders involving the bone marrow exclusively in the geriatric age group. We studied the bone marrow profile in the elderly age group (60 years and above) over a period of 1 year using bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. Anemia was the most frequently diagnosed entity followed by multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Cases of leukemia, primary myelofibrosis and metastatic carcinoma were also encountered. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy were found to be complementary.