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Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are clonal disorders characterized initially by ineffective hematopoiesis and subsequently by the development of acute leukemias. Peripheral blood cytopenias in combination with a hypercellular bone marrow exhibiting dysplastic changes are the hallmark of MDS
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Work-up
CBC with differential
Serum liver function tests, electrolytes, serum creatinine
Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration with iron stains, flow cytometry, cytogenetics
HLA typing for patients who are candidates for allogeneic stem cell transplantation
RBC folate, serum B12, serum iron/TIBC/ferritin, serum erythropoietin level (prior to RBC transfusion)
HIV testing if clinically indicated
Thyroid function tests to rule out hypothyroidism
HLA-DR15 typing to assist determination of response to immunosuppressive therapy
Evaluate patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) for 5q31–33 translocations and/or PDGFRβ gene rearrangements
JAK2 mutation in patients with thrombocytosis
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Classification Systems for MDS