Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Adult ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; secondary ; Female ; Humans ; Postoperative Period ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore the diagnostic value of bone marrow biopsy for bone marrow metastatic tumor with unknown primary tumor site.

METHODSThirty-eight cases of metastatic bone marrow tumors were diagnosed by light microscopy, and the bone marrow samples from these cases with unknown primary tumor sites were examined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSIn all the cases, the bone marrow was infiltrated by tumor cells between the bone trabecula. Twenty patients were identified to have poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas, 6 had mucinous adenocarcinomas, 6 had mucinous carcinomas, 4 had poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas, and 2 had melanoma. Immunohistochemistry identified the primary tumor sites in these cases, including 12 stomach cancers, 10 breast cancers, 8 prostate cancers, 4 lung cancers, 1 dorsal melanoma, 1 left foot melanoma, and 2 nasopharyngeal cancers.

CONCLUSIONProper immunohistochemistry can help determine the primary tumor sites in patients with metastatic bone marrow tumor with unknown primary tumor sites.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; secondary ; Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Needle ; Bone Marrow Examination ; methods ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; secondary ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Unknown Primary ; diagnosis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology

This study was aimed to explore the value of one-step method of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy applied in diagnosis of the bone marrow metastatic cancer. The total of 46 cases of bone marrow metastatic cancer were analyzed retrospectively, and the results of the bone marrow smear and the bone marrow biopsies were compared. The results indicated that the success rate of one-step method of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy was 95.7%. Metastatic carcinoma cells in clumps or clusters with morphological changes were observed in the bone marrow biopsies of the 45 patients (97.8%), but the metastatic carcinoma cell clusters were observed only in bone marrow smears of the 25 patients (54.3%). There were mild to moderate hyperplasia of fibrous tissue in the patients with metastatic cancer. In addition to the 83.3% diagnostic rate of esophageal cancer, the rest diagnostic rate of bone marrow biopsy for metastatic carcinoma was 100%. The diagnostic rate of bone marrow smear for ovarian cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, thoracic tumor, sigmoid colon cancer, esophageal cancer and metastatic cancer of unknown primary cancers were 33.3%, 50%, 72.2%, 60%, 50%, 33.3% and 25%, respectively. The diagnostic rate of bone marrow biopsy was higher than that of bone marrow smear. It is concluded that the success rate of drawing specimen by one-step method of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy is high. The bone marrow biopsy is better than that of aspiration in diagnosis of metastatic cancer. Combining biopsy with aspiration can improve the accuracy of diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; methods ; Bone Marrow ; pathology ; Bone Marrow Examination ; methods ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; secondary ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Adult ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Pancreas ; pathology ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; secondary ; surgery ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; physiopathology

BACKGROUND: The incidence of bone marrow (BM) metastasis might be related with the occurrence of malignant tumors in ethnic groups. So, we investigated the type and the frequency of metastatic tumors of BM and analyzed the clinicopathologic variables of BM metastasis. METHODS: This study included 932 cases of primary malignant tumor which were requested for BM study from January 1995 to June 2006 in Chonnam National University Hospital and Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital. Peripheral blood smears (PBS); aspirates, touch prints, and trephine biopsies of BM; and medical records including other laboratory test results were reviewed. RESULTS: Overall frequency of BM metastasis was 11.9% (111/932). Primary tumors with BM involvement in children comprised neuroblastoma (74.1%), rhabdomyosarcoma (7.4%), and malignant lymphoma (7.4%). For adult patients, they consisted of malignant lymphoma (56.0%), gastrointestinal cancer (20.2%), and lung cancer (6.0%). In the case of malignant lymphoma, diffuse large cell lymphoma was the most frequent one. Laboratory findings of patients with BM metastasis commonly showed anemia and thrombocytopenia; in addition, serum LD, ALP, AST and ALT were elevated in 81.5% (75/92), 63.4% (59/93), 63.5% (61/96) and 33.3% (32/96), respectively. Leukoerythroblastosis was observed only in 19.8% (22/111) on PBS examination. CONCLUSIONS: The most common non-hematopoietic metastatic tumor was neuroblastoma in children and gastrointestinal tumors in adults. Leukoerythroblastosis, anemia, and the elevation of serum LD, ALP, and AST were useful markers for the prediction of BM metastasis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Marrow Examination ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/*secondary ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/pathology ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuroblastoma/pathology

BACKGROUND: The prognostic impact of the presence of differentiating neuroblasts in bone marrow (BM) remains unclear in BM metastatic neuroblastoma (NB). We aimed to identify the prognostic impact of differentiating neuroblasts in BM at diagnosis and after chemotherapy. METHODS: A total of 51 patients diagnosed with BM metastatic NB at Asan Medical Center between January 1990 and July 2005 were enrolled. BM histology and laboratory data along with overall survival (OS) were compared with regard to the differentiation status of neuroblasts in BM at diagnosis and after chemotherapy. RESULTS: Among the 51 patients, 13 (25.5%) exhibited differentiating neuroblasts in BM at diagnosis and 17/51 (33.3%) exhibited them after chemotherapy. The only significant difference among patient groups was the improved OS in patients with differentiated neuroblasts in BM at diagnosis (P=0.021). In contrast, the differentiation status of neuroblasts in BM after chemotherapy did not affect OS (P=0.852). CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first report describing the presence of differentiating neuroblasts in BM. The presence of differentiating neuroblasts in BM at diagnosis may be a favorable prognostic factor for patients with BM metastatic NB; however, the same phenomenon after chemotherapy is irrelevant to prognosis.
Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow/*pathology ; Bone Marrow Cells/*cytology ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms/*diagnosis/secondary ; Cell Differentiation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Karyotyping ; Male ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neuroblastoma/*diagnosis/drug therapy/pathology ; Prognosis ; Survival Analysis ; Young Adult