ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the histomorphometric features of megakaryocytic elements in bone marrow trephine biopsies of various subtypes of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). STUDY DESIGN: Comparative image morphometry using hematoxylin-eosin-stained and CD 61-stained trephine biopsies was carried out on 40 cases of MDS and 10 normal subjects to analyze the megakaryocytes objectively. The various variables analyzed were number of megakaryocytes and micromegakaryocytes, area, perimeter and diameter of the megakaryocytic elements. RESULTS: The mean number of megakaryocytes was lower in cases of MDS as compared to the normals in all except for a single case of hypoplastic MDS, in which the megakaryocytes were more abundant (3.6 per high-power field [hpf]). No micromegakaryocytes were observed in the 2 cases of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. The mean area, perimeter and diameter of megakaryocytes decreased significantly on immunostaining with CD 61. CONCLUSION: The mean number of megakaryocytes per hpf was lower in the cases of MDS as compared to normal cases on hematoxylin-eosin. However, on CD 61 staining the number of megakaryocytes per hpf increased in cases of MDS. Micromegakaryocytes were seen in scanty numbers in the normals but increased in MDS cases and increased significantly on CD 61 immunostaining. The mean area, perimeter and diameter of megakaryocytes decreased significantly on immunostaining with CD 61, indicating the increased numbers of micromegakaryocytes in MDS. Hence, immunostaining is an efficient method of detecting increased numbers of megakaryocytes and micromegakaryocytes that would ordinarily be missed by using routine hematoxylin-eosin staining.
