Faculty Collaboration Database

Low blast count myeloid disorders with Auer rods: a clinicopathologic analysis of 9 cases. Am J Clin Pathol 2005 Aug;124(2):191-8

Date

07/26/2005

Pubmed ID

16040288

DOI

10.1309/WB79-MFV6-FCDJ-H2EG

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-23044506502 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   15 Citations

Abstract

Auer rods are a hallmark of acute myeloid leukemia but occasionally are seen in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, rarely in cases with fewer than 5% blasts. The significance of this finding is unclear. We report 9 cases of this unusual phenomenon. All patients had cytopenias, isolated to a single lineage in 4. Circulating blasts were present in 8 cases (rare to 2.5%). Bone marrow blasts ranged from 0.4 to 4.9%; 1% to 32% of blasts contained Auer rods. There were variable degrees of dysplasia; 1 case closely mimicked refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts. Cytogenetic studies in 8 cases showed clonal changes in 4. In 5 patients, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) developed 6, 6, 5, 13, and 24 months after diagnosis; the patients subsequently died. Three patients died at 1, 1, and 8 months without progression to AML, and only 1 was alive at 10 months. MDSs with fewer than 5% blasts and Auer rods seem to be a heterogeneous group, but rapid progression to death or AML in most cases suggests that Auer rods signify an aggressive biology in MDSs with a low blast count.

Author List

Willis MS, McKenna RW, Peterson LC, Coad JE, Kroft SH

Author

Steven Howard Kroft MD Chair, Professor in the Pathology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Bone Marrow
Child
Cytogenetics
Female
Granulocytes
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Prognosis