ISSN: 2578-501X
Authors: Maramba A*, Matshelela RF, Mandisodza A, Maboreke T, Manasa J and Gwanzura L
Objectives: To evaluate the correlation between clinical suspicion and the final laboratory diagnosis after the bone marrow examination Design: A 6year retrospective cross-sectional study Setting: Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Zimbabwe Subjects: Seventy-six pediatric bone marrow aspirate (BMA) examination cases from 2016 to 2022 that had data that suited the study available were included in the study. Results: The 76 case participants had median age of 7 (age range 1-12). Six-two (81.6%) cases were found to have a complete BMA examination report while fourteen (18.4%) cases had technical errors reported and therefore excluded from the analysis of case results. Amongst the 14 excluded cases; 10(71.4%) were reported as unsuitable for diagnosis and 4(28.6%) reported as haemodilute for diagnosis. The triggers for BMA examination were grouped as; aplastic anaemia 5(6.6%), anaemia with variations 21(27.6%), pancytopenia 14(18.4%), and suspected haematological malignancies 36(47.4%). Analysis of the complete 62 case reports found; 34(54.8%) haematological malignancies, 2(3.2%) no diagnostic features, 5(8.1%) aplastic anaemia, 17(27.4%) no evidence of neoplasm/ infiltration, 3(4.8%) bone marrow hypoplasia, and 1(1.6%) non haematological metastasis. The percentage diagnostic yield between triggers for BMA examination and the BMA examination reports was 62/76 (81.6%0. However, there was no statistically significant correlation (p=0.275) to conclude that there is concordance between triggers for BMA examination and BMA examination diagnosis. Conclusion: Haematological malignancies were the commonest triggers for BMA examination in this study. Haematological malignancies were also found to be the commonest outcome in BMA reports done in pediatric patients with the major form being all.
Keywords: Bone marrow aspirate, haematological malignancies, leukemia, anaemia, pediatrics
