Excessive Naked Megakaryocyte Nuclei in Myelodysplastic Syndrome Mimicking Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Complicated Pre- and Post-Transplantation Course

Abstract

A boy 3 years 7 months old with thrombocytopenia and history of intracranial hemorrhage who underwent bone marrow transplantation is presented. He was refractory to steroids, immunoglobulin G, vincristine, azathioprine, cyclosporine A, interleukin-11, chemotherapy, and splenectomy. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura was excluded by light /electron microscopic and flow cytometric findings; the diagnosis of refractory cytopenia, a subgroup of pediatric myelodysplastic syndrome, was made. Naked megakaryocyte nuclei were 55.38 ± 28.2% vs. 31.67 ± 23.22% of all megakaryocytes in the patient and the control group of 9 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, respectively (p =.016). The posttransplatation course was complicated by delayed platelet engraftment, bronchiolitis obliterans associated with pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, which resolved completely. Copyright © Informa Healthcare USA, Inc.