BONE-MARROW BIOPSY FINDINGS IN CHILDHOOD ANEMIA - PREVALENCE OF TRANSIENT ERYTHROBLASTOPENIA OF CHILDHOOD

Objective.-Bone marrow examination is rarely required for the diagnosi s of childhood anemia, and its diagnostic utility in this setting is u nknown. Design.-Marrow specimens from 25 children aged 11 days to 12 y ears were reviewed to determine the cause of unexplained anemia. Resul ts.-These samples comprised only 2% of pediatric marrow examinations. Hematocrits ranged from 0.12 to 0.31 (mean 0.23). Marrow findings incl uded erythroid hypoplasia (12 of 25, 48%) and hyperplasia (11 of 25, 4 4%), dyserythropoiesis (2 cases), ringed sideroblasts (2 cases), lymph ocytosis (3 cases), and megaloblastic change (1 case). Final diagnoses were transient erythroblastopenia of childhood (15 cases, 60%); iron deficiency and sideroblastic anemia (2 cases each); and congenital dys erythropoietic anemia, anemia of chronic disease, hereditary spherocyt osis, and intra-abdominal hemorrhage (1 case each). In two patients, a definitive diagnosis was never made. Conclusions.-Marrow examination contributed to a specific diagnosis in childhood anemia in 92% of case s; the most common diagnosis in this population was transient erythrob lastopenia of childhood.