Comparative evaluation between bone marrow aspirate and biopsy morphologic findings, experience at King Hussein Medical Center

Abstract EN

Objective: To assess the matching between bone marrow aspirate and bone marrow biopsy findings done simultaneously in patients with clinical indications of bone marrow examination, to stand on the diagnostic efficacy of each in various bone marrow diseases.

Methods: This study was conducted at King Hussein Medical Center, Haematology and Oncology Department in collaboration with Hematopathology Division of the Laboratory Department.

The Pathology reports of both bone marrow aspirate and biopsy done simultaneously on 500 cases in the period between January and December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: About 76.2% of the cases showed positive correlation between the bone marrow Aspirate and biopsy findings.

The highest correlation was noted in diffuse bone marrow diseases, and hematological malignancies; including acute myeloid leukemia (92.8%), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (91%), and chronic myeloid leukemia (90.9%), poor correlation was observed in infiltrative bone marrow diseases including idiopathic myelofibrosis was 0%, lymphoma involvement 14.2%, and bone marrow metastasis 18.2%.

The diagnostic accuracy was 76.2% for aspirates and 98.8% for biopsy.

Conclusion: This study shows that bone marrow aspirate is of diagnostic value mostly in diffuse bone marrow diseases and is of limited value in infiltrative bone marrow diseases where biopsy is mandatory.

In general, there was a good correlation between the aspirate and biopsy findings.