Significance of Bone Marrow Histology in the Diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease. The precise diagnosis requires a careful morphological examination of a well pre-pared bone marrow aspirate along with flow cytometry and genetic analysis wherever required. Traditionally, bone marrow biopsy has not been considered an essential diagnostic modality for AML. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic as well as prognostic significance of bone marrow histology in patient with acute myeloid leukemia.Materials and Methods: Forty (40) patients of AML underwent a bone marrow examination including an aspirate and a trephine biopsy. Air dried films of peripheral blood and aspirates were fixed in methanol and stained with Giemsa. The following cytochemical stai-ns were also applied: PAS, Myeloperoxidase, Non specific esterase, Chloracetate Esterase and Acid Phosphatase, and SBB. Bone marrow biopsy specimens were obtained from post superior iliac crest with a manual trephine and were processed in plastic after decalcification.Results: In all the cases there were better diagnostic clues through histological examination of bone marrow particularly in assessing the cellularity, degree of fibrosis, extent of blast infiltration, percentage of inflammatory cells, dysplastic changes and residual haematopoiesis. All these features were better noted in histological examination of core biopsy.Conclusion: The histological examination provided information additional to that provided by aspirate smears about the bone marrow changes in AML and suggested that some of the features may also have prognostic significance in addition to diagnostic importance