Evaluation of the Diagnostic and Follow up Values of Bone Marrow Aspiration Procedures in Children Welfare Teaching Hospital

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Background: Bone marrow examination is a common practice in medicine. It is a key
investigation in the diagnosis of many hematological and non-hematological disorders and
it is a safe procedure.
Objectives: to evaluate the diagnostic value of bone marrow aspirates when associated
with peripheral blood pancytopenia or thrombocytopenia in children.
Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective study conducted in hematology laboratory of
Children Welfare Teaching Hospital in the period between November 2012 and October
2013. All the aspirates which carried out during that period in the hospital were included in
this study.
Results: The study included 1207 aspirate procedures, carried out on patients with age
range from 25 days to 14 years. Regarding the aspirates which have been carried out for
reaching a diagnosis; 298 (25%) aspirates, their full blood count showed
thrombocytopenia and 254 (85%) of these aspirates yields information of diagnostic value.
One hundred and eleven (9%) aspirates associated with pancytopenia in the peripheral
blood and 52 (47%) of these aspirates showed information of diagnostic value. Two
hundred and eighty (23%) aspirates not indicated from hematology laboratory point of
view and 217 (78%) of these aspirates showed normal bone marrow and only 29 (10%)
aspirates yield information of diagnostic value.
The most frequent cause for thrombocytopenia was ITP (50%) followed by acute leukemia
(27%) while the most frequent cause for pancytopenia was acute leukemia (14%) followed
by hypoplastic marrow (11%)
Conclusions: The bone marrow aspirates which was associated with thrombocytopenia
or pancytopenia show high frequency of yielding information of diagnostic values while
those which not associated with such features showed low frequency of yielding
information of diagnostic values.