Bone Marrow Aspiration & Biopsy

Bone Marrow, after the blood itself, is the largest and most widely distributed organ in the body, where blood is produced. Our bone marrow contains about 1 trillion cells and releases approximately 200 billion red cells, 100 billion white cells and 400 billion platelets each day.

Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy are now well-accepted procedures for the evaluation both the cellularity of the marrow and the nature of the cells present. Although the sternum (breast bone) is the traditional site for bone marrow aspiration (but not for biopsy), our preferred site is the posterior Iliac crest (the hip bone) because of ease and safety and the fact that the posterior Iliac crest is usually quite cellular.

INDICATIONS:

• Unexplained anaemia. Decreased presence of red blood cells, the cause of which may be a variety of reasons, the most common being deficiency of iron stores and Myelodysplasia.
• Thrombocytopenia. Decreased production of platelets, I.T.P. (or Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia) being most common. Physicians determine if adequate number of platelet producing cells (Megakaryocytes) are present in the bone marrow.
• Pancytopenia. Decreased production of all three cell lines, differentiates relative involvement of red cell, white cell and platelet lines in a disease.
• Leukemia, Lymphoma, or Myeloma (helpful in diagnoses, staging and determining results of the treatment)
• Lympho and Myeloproliferative disorders.
• Metastatic disease. To determine if the bone marrow is involved with cancers from other sites.
• Chromosomal analyses
• Unusual infection. Such as Tuberculoses, Fungi and Fevers of Unknown Origin

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

• Haemophilia and other Clotting disorders. (If you are taking a blood thinner your doctor needs to be informed before the procedure).
• Previous Radiation Therapy site.

PRE- and POST-PROCEDURE PATIENT EDUCATION:

The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia, therefore patient can eat or drink any time before or after the procedure. The patient will need to remain in a supine position (lay on the back) for about an hour after the procedure to help keep pressure on the biopsy site. The urinary bladder should be emptied before the procedure. The bandage over the biopsy site may be removed 24 hours after the procedure. Ask the patient to notify the physician of any pain, drainage, fever or spreading redness around the biopsy site area. A standard consent form should be signed by all patients before the procedure.

“Once you see it, you will never forget it.”
“Trust your photogenic memory.”