PATTERN OF HEMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS ON BONE MARROW ASPIRATE EXAMINATION

Objectives: To determine the gender, age distribution, and pattern of blood disorders on bone marrow aspirate examination.Material & Methods: This study was conducted at Bacha Khan Medical College Diagnostic Laboratory, Mardan,Pakistan from April 2013 to September 2015. All patients referred for bone marrow aspirations were included in thisstudy. Patients with known history of bleeding disorders were excluded. Patients with inconclusive bone marrow reportwere dropped. The demographic variables included gender, age and pattern of the disorder on bone marrow aspirateexamination. Data retrieved was analyzed by calculating percentage and frequencies.Results: Over a period of 30 months a total of 133 bone-marrow aspirations were performed. Out of these, 17(12.78%)cases were dropped (diluted marrow), 74 (55.64%) had non-malignant hematological disorders while 40 (30.07%) hadhematological malignancies. Out of all 133 cases, 10 patients had single lineage cytopenia, 37 had bicytopenias while47 presented with pancytopenia.Conclusion: Reactive marrow is the most common finding among non-malignant hematological disorders followedby megaloblastic anemia. Acute leukemia is the most common hematological malignancy. Bone marrow aspiration isvery helpful in ascertaining the cause of the disease.