A prospective study among cases of the pancytopenia on the basis of clinic-hematological analysis and bone marrow aspiration

Background: Pancytopenia is consequence of many haematological condition with an extensive differential diagnosis. A prompt intervention is required to avoid complications. The severity and the underlying pathology determines the management and prognosis. Present study was conducted to assess the etiology, clinical profile and bone marrow morphology of pancytopenia.Methods: A prospective study was carried out among 50 consecutive patients with pancytopenia. Blood samples of the patients were analyzed for complete blood count and peripheral smear along with presence and absence of immature cells and abnormal cells. In bone marrow examination, morphology of all cells lineage, cellularity, parasite and abnormal cells were scrutinized. Trephine biopsy was done if indicated. Special investigations were done to confirm the diagnosis.Results: Among the 50 cases studied, age of the patients ranged from 1 to 70 years with a slight male predominance. Most common age group 11-20 years. Most of the patients presented with generalized weakness and fever. The commonest physical finding was pallor, followed by splenomegaly and hepatomegaly. The commonest marrow finding was hyper cellularity with megaloblastic erythropoiesis. The commonest cause for pancytopenia was megaloblastic anemia.Conclusions: The present study concludes that hematological investigations along with other supportive tests are helpful to diagnose or to rule out the causes of pancytopenia. Megaloblastic anemia is commonest cause of pancytopenia in most Indian and subcontinent studies. Substantial number of patients had reversible etiology. Hence complete work up including clinical details with hematological examination along with bone marrow study will lead to early and proper diagnosis and management

Study of metastasis in lymph node by fine needle aspiration cytology: our institutional experience

Background:Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a reliable as well as an inexpensive diagnostic method. It is suitable for the developing countries for the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy at any approachable site. Fine needle aspiration cytology not only confirms the presence of metastatic disease but also, in most cases, gives the clue regarding the origin of the primary tumor, prognosis as well in the management of patient for staging purposes. The aim of the study was to detect and diagnose metastasis in lymph nodes. Methods:A study was done of all metastatic lymph node lesions reported in Department of Pathology, Govt. Medical College, Surat from May 2011 to April 2012.Results:A total of 2355 cases of fine needle aspiration cytology were carried out of which 580 cases were of lymph node. Cytology results were positive for metastasis in 157 specimens (27.06%). The most common site was cervical lymph nodes. Maximum numbers of cases of metastatic tumors were in 41-50 yrs age group. There were 115 males and 42 females with a male predominance (Male:Female= 2.8:1). The most common malignancy was squamous cells carcinoma, seen in 118 cases (75.15%), followed by metastatic mammary carcinoma (13 cases, 8.29%). In 26 cases out of 580 cases, histopathological confirmation was done and diagnostic accuracy of FNAC was 100%. Conclusions:Fine needle aspiration cytology of lymphadenopathy is a useful tool in diagnosing metastatic lesions with good certainty

A prospective study on morphological alteration of megakaryocytes amongst megaloblastic anemia cases along with their clinic-haematological manifestations

Background: Megaloblastic anemias are hematologic disorders in which abnormal DNA synthesis causes blood and bone marrow disorders. The cause of thrombocytopenia in megaloblastic anemia has been postulated as hypoproduction in some studies, whereas ineffective thrombopoeisis has been proposed in other. Objective was to study spectrum of clinic-hematological features in megaloblastic anemia and comparative bone marrow aspiration study of thrombocytopenia secondary to megaloblastic anemia, hypoproduction and hyper-destruction. This study was done to understand the various megakaryocytic alterations in hematological disorders presenting with thrombocytopenia due to different mechanisms.Methods: Total 85 cases of thrombocytopenia included in the study. Bone marrow finding in 33 cases of thrombocytopenia of megaloblastic etiology were compared with 34 cases of marrow proven hypo productive thrombocytopenia (aplastic anemia, acute leukemia) and 19 cases of hyper destructive thrombocytopenia (immune thrombocytopenia).Results: Most common age group presenting megaloblastic anemia is 11-20 year, with male to female ratio is1.2:1, most common complaint were generalized weakness and fever. In megaloblastic anemia 24.33%, 60% and 15.67% of the cases shows increase, decrease and normal megakaryocytes respectively. Dysplastic megakaryocytes were observed in 24.3%, 27% and 20.5% of the cases of megaloblastic anemia, acute leukaemia and immune thrombocytopenic purpura respectively.Conclusions: Both hypoproduction and ineffective thrombopoiesis are the underlying path mechanisms in megaloblastic thrombocytopenia as evidenced by the marrow findings. We hereby infer that megaloblastic thrombocytopenia is to be included as a separate category apart from hypo proliferative and hyper destructive groups. The presence of dysplastic megakaryocyte should not prompt an interpretatio