A 68-year-old woman of Asian descent presented with fatigue and anemia requiring blood transfusion. There was no splenomegaly. The blood work revealed hemoglobin, 59 g/L; mean corpuscular volume, 103 fL; absolute neutrophil count, 2.3 × 109/L; platelets, 238 × 109/L; and lactate dehydrogenase, 246 U/L. Occasional teardrop cells and rare pseudo-Pelger neutrophils were found in the blood smear. The bone marrow aspirate was a dry tap. The biopsy showed a hypercellular marrow with proliferation of small hypolobated/monolobated megakaryocytes forming clusters (panel A; original magnification ×40, hematoxylin and eosin stain) that stained positive for CD61 (panel B; original magnification ×40, CD61 stain). CD34+ blasts were <5%. There was increased reticulin fibrosis (marrow fibrosis [MF] 2/3) (panel C; original magnification ×20, reticulin stain). Molecular studies detected JAK2 V617F mutation with 29% allele burden; conventional cytogenetics demonstrated an isolated 5q deletion in 4 of 20 metaphases [46,XX, del(5)(q22q35)], confirmed by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization in 25% of nuclei.
Myelodysplastic syndrome with isolated del(5q) is characterized by distinctive hypo/monolobated megakaryocytes. Concurrent JAK2 mutation has been described in 5% of cases, but significant MF (≥2) was not reported. Isolated del(5q) in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is extremely rare. The megakaryocyte morphology typical of PMF was absent in this case. Whether there are 2 independent clones or 1 clone expressing both abnormalities remains to be determined. Nevertheless, this patient could potentially benefit from lenalidomide.
A 68-year-old woman of Asian descent presented with fatigue and anemia requiring blood transfusion. There was no splenomegaly. The blood work revealed hemoglobin, 59 g/L; mean corpuscular volume, 103 fL; absolute neutrophil count, 2.3 × 109/L; platelets, 238 × 109/L; and lactate dehydrogenase, 246 U/L. Occasional teardrop cells and rare pseudo-Pelger neutrophils were found in the blood smear. The bone marrow aspirate was a dry tap. The biopsy showed a hypercellular marrow with proliferation of small hypolobated/monolobated megakaryocytes forming clusters (panel A; original magnification ×40, hematoxylin and eosin stain) that stained positive for CD61 (panel B; original magnification ×40, CD61 stain). CD34+ blasts were <5%. There was increased reticulin fibrosis (marrow fibrosis [MF] 2/3) (panel C; original magnification ×20, reticulin stain). Molecular studies detected JAK2 V617F mutation with 29% allele burden; conventional cytogenetics demonstrated an isolated 5q deletion in 4 of 20 metaphases [46,XX, del(5)(q22q35)], confirmed by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization in 25% of nuclei.
Myelodysplastic syndrome with isolated del(5q) is characterized by distinctive hypo/monolobated megakaryocytes. Concurrent JAK2 mutation has been described in 5% of cases, but significant MF (≥2) was not reported. Isolated del(5q) in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is extremely rare. The megakaryocyte morphology typical of PMF was absent in this case. Whether there are 2 independent clones or 1 clone expressing both abnormalities remains to be determined. Nevertheless, this patient could potentially benefit from lenalidomide.
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![A 68-year-old woman of Asian descent presented with fatigue and anemia requiring blood transfusion. There was no splenomegaly. The blood work revealed hemoglobin, 59 g/L; mean corpuscular volume, 103 fL; absolute neutrophil count, 2.3 × 109/L; platelets, 238 × 109/L; and lactate dehydrogenase, 246 U/L. Occasional teardrop cells and rare pseudo-Pelger neutrophils were found in the blood smear. The bone marrow aspirate was a dry tap. The biopsy showed a hypercellular marrow with proliferation of small hypolobated/monolobated megakaryocytes forming clusters (panel A; original magnification ×40, hematoxylin and eosin stain) that stained positive for CD61 (panel B; original magnification ×40, CD61 stain). CD34+ blasts were <5%. There was increased reticulin fibrosis (marrow fibrosis [MF] 2/3) (panel C; original magnification ×20, reticulin stain). Molecular studies detected JAK2 V617F mutation with 29% allele burden; conventional cytogenetics demonstrated an isolated 5q deletion in 4 of 20 metaphases [46,XX, del(5)(q22q35)], confirmed by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization in 25% of nuclei. / Myelodysplastic syndrome with isolated del(5q) is characterized by distinctive hypo/monolobated megakaryocytes. Concurrent JAK2 mutation has been described in 5% of cases, but significant MF (≥2) was not reported. Isolated del(5q) in primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is extremely rare. The megakaryocyte morphology typical of PMF was absent in this case. Whether there are 2 independent clones or 1 clone expressing both abnormalities remains to be determined. Nevertheless, this patient could potentially benefit from lenalidomide.](https://ash.silverchair-cdn.com/ash/content_public/journal/blood/132/1/10.1182_blood-2018-03-842161/4/m_blood842161f1.jpeg?Expires=1767710042&Signature=wzYQpGZPqdIVfy~qhx6u5e4pv719qj3u6dLWohwxEcQIY~aSZrmuS6ohZaWvA5SEpFIj2Zf0hR8l7OTgfycDkZz7ziNMsPbG2ZsqgOuQ4qC3kDYG8SMoX9GxjWEQ7fLPRgAzlzVH8HhkdMrPBed9dXtUPKTF4B-UXpawod1rUGvanC4zr2pWowsAB8u1pjsSr-aBuEYWR32ZOtW~IJkbSHdfnJwv-16RFPsyykAlC8OU3iy~4Wq8BJ1Jzu6J~a9rizFYQPxU6vYO-EFr6yXDoxzk-SXKvsWj6nI1DD3nJNbIxeyaNqnY9Gq4A8Hv0LRGasKRuxy8xhMrUdKqeko70g__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA)
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