Role of bone marrow morphology and genetics testing in differential diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome and megaloblastic anemia

Objective To study the role of bone marrow morphology and genetics testing in differential diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome（MDS） with a low blast count and megaloblastic anemia（MA）. Methods Clinical data（including bone marrow morphology and genetic status） about 33 MDS patients with a low blast count and 19 MA patients admitted to our hospital from January 2011 to June 2013 were analyzed. Results The incidence of dyshaematopoiesis, abnormal cellular and molecular genetics testing was significantly higher in MDS patients with a low blast count than in MA patients（P=0.031, P=0.000, P=0.000）. Conclusion Bone marrow morphology and genetics can accurately diagnose MDS from MA.