Myelodisplastic syndromes are a heterogeneous group of malignant haematopoietic stem cells. They are classified by the World Health Organization as refractory anemia, refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts, refractory cytopenia with multilineage displasia, refractory anemia with excess of blast cells, unclassified myelodisplastic syndrome and myelodisplastic syndrome associated with a 5q chromosomal delection. Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts is defined by red blood cell hyperplasia and dysplasia with 15% or more of ringed sideroblasts. We studied bone marrow aspirates using Perls' stain with blood smears from over 40-year-old patients that had one or more cytopenias in their peripheral blood associated with anemia. A total of 18.7% of patients had ringed sideroblasts leading to a possible diagnosis of refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts, one of the myelodisplastic syndromes. Most of those cases were refered to our service without clinical suspicion of myelodisplastic syndrome and in only one case Perls' stain was requested. Perls' stain is easily performed and the results are fast and so we suggest that it should be routinely used in all cases of possible myelodisplastic syndrome.
Bone marrow; myelodisplastic syndromes; refractory anemia; Perls' stain; blood iron
