laboratory findings
Last reviewed 01/2018
- red cells:
- usually anaemia
- cell morphology is abnormal with macrocytes, microcytes or bizarre shapes
- MCV is normal or increased
- WBC:
- usually normal or reduced; but raised in chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia where monocyte count may exceed 10 x 10^9 / l
- neutropenia is common; neutrophils may be hypogranular with one or two segments (Pelger-Huet cells), or may be hypersegmented
- platelets - normal or reduced; some may be hypogranular
- bone marrow - hypercellular despite low counts:
- erythroid hyperplasia is common - abnormalities include megaloblastoid changes, nuclear budding or multinucleate erythroid precursors
- granulocyte precursors often lack cytoplasmic granules
- dwarf megakaryocytes with unilobed nucleus are characteristic
- 60% of patients have chromosomal abnormalities most commonly 5, 7, 20, or Y, and trisomy 8.