Distribution frequency of various types of myelodysplastic syndromes

ABSTRACT

Twenty-seven patients [3-70 years old, 17 males and 10 females, 3 pediatrics and 24 adults] were diagnosed as MDS among 1520 acute and chronic leukemia cases referred to the National Cancer Institute [NCI], Cairo University, over the period from 1983-1987. All cases were subjected to clinical and hematological studies. According to the FAB criteria, the cases were classified as follows One case [4%] had refractory anemia [RA], 8 cases [30%] had refractory anemia with excess blasts [RAEB], 16 cases [59%] had RAEB in transformation [RAEB-T], and 2 cases [7%] had chronic myelomonocytes leukemia [CMML]. The majority of the patients were under 50 years [15/24], in contrast to previously published reports. The median survival for the entire group was 10 months RA; 4 RAEB; 10 RAEB-T; 9 and CMML; 12 months. Shorter survival was observed in patients with marrow dysplasia involving the three cell lines [5.57 months]. Acute leukemia developed in 15 cases [55%], 3 cases of RAEB [11%] and 12 cases of RAEB-T [44%], while 37% of cases died from infection [RA 4%, RAEB 15%, RAEB-T 11% and CMML 7%]. The present study showed that among the MDS cases, the majority belonged to RAEB and RAEB-T subtypes. However, this observed high frequency could be due to the small number of patients with refractory anemia [RA] and refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts [RARS] referred to the institute