Bone Marrow Biopsy for the Staging of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Bilateral or Unilateral Trephine Biopsy?

A quality improvement assessment of multiple, concurrent flow cytometry analyses at a tertiary care center

INTRODUCTION

The utility of flow cytometry (FC) in diagnosis and staging of hematologic malignancy is controversial. Often, multiple specimens from the same patient are processed concurrently for FC analyses, alongside tissue for histomorphologic diagnosis.

METHODS

To assess the diagnostic utility of multiple, concurrent FC analyses, a 10-year retrospective review of cases with ≥2 concurrent specimens (from the same patient) submitted for FC was conducted. Light microscopic (LM) diagnoses were compared to FC findings, and the contribution of FC results to final diagnoses was examined.

RESULTS

Of 4058 specimens (predominantly lymph nodes, bone marrows, and oropharyngeal tissues) submitted for FC analyses, 129 (3.2%) represented cases with multiple (average: 2.19) concurrent FC analyses. All were accompanied by tissues and/or aspirates for LM examination. In 115 (89.1%) cases, multiple FC analyses were performed prior to morphologic examination. In 87.0% of those cases, ≥1 FC result(s) aligned with LM findings. In 15 (13.0%) cases where FC results differed from morphologic diagnoses, 86.7% (13/15) failed to detect an abnormal cell population by FC in the presence of a hematologic malignancy by LM. In one case (0.9%), FC detected a lymphoma, without morphologic evidence by LM.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, multipart FC failed to demonstrate a significant contribution in initial diagnoses of hematologic malignancies compared with analysis of a single specimen.

Necessity of bilateral bone marrow biopsies for ancillary cytogenetic studies in the pediatric population

The need for bilateral pediatric bone marrow biopsies for cytogenetic and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) studies has not been clearly delineated. We retrospectively identified 166 pediatric bilateral bone marrow biopsy specimens obtained from patients with a variety of clinical diagnoses, including solid tumors, lymphoma, leukemia, and other hematologic conditions. The cases included all pediatric bilateral bone marrow biopsies performed at our hospital spanning the years of 1992 to 2008. Agreement of FISH and classical cytogenetic results between the 2 sides was assessed. Of a total of 166 bilateral cases, 2 cases showed disagreement (1.2%), both from patients with solid tumors. One case was a rhabdomyosarcoma, in which FISH only was performed; the second was a neuroblastoma in which FISH and cytogenetics were performed (both FISH and classical cytogenetic results disagreed). The remainder of the cases showed complete agreement between the 2 sides (total 98.8%). We conclude that it is usually not necessary to perform bilateral bone marrow biopsies for FISH and cytogenetics in the pediatric population outside of the setting of solid tumor staging.

Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy: a pathologist's perspective. II. interpretation of the bone marrow aspirate and biopsy

Bone marrow examination has become increasingly important for the diagnosis and treatment of hematologic and other illnesses. Morphologic evaluation of the bone marrow aspirate and biopsy has recently been supplemented by increasingly sophisticated ancillary assays, including immunocytochemistry, cytogenetic analysis, flow cytometry, and molecular assays. With our rapidly expanding knowledge of the clinical and biologic diversity of leukemia and other hematologic neoplasms, and an increasing variety of therapeutic options, the bone marrow examination has became more critical for therapeutic monitoring and planning optimal therapy. Sensitive molecular techniques, in vitro drug sensitivity testing, and a number of other special assays are available to provide valuable data to assist these endeavors. Fortunately, improvements in bone marrow aspirate and needle technology has made the procurement of adequate specimens more reliable and efficient, while the use of conscious sedation has improved patient comfort. The procurement of bone marrow specimens was reviewed in the first part of this series. This paper specifically addresses the diagnostic interpretation of bone marrow specimens and the use of ancillary techniques.

Can patients with early-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma be treated without bone marrow biopsy?

BACKGROUND

Data on the incidence of bone marrow (BM) involvement in early-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are lacking. Although BM biopsy is a safe procedure, it is often poorly tolerated. This analysis aims to assess the incidence of BM involvement and to identify parameters predicting BM involvement in early-stage DLBCL.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred and ninety-two patients with radiological stages 1 and 2 disease were analysed. The data collected were age, sex, presence of B symptoms, white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet count, haemoglobin (Hb), serum lactate dehydrogenase level, serum beta(2)-microglobulin level, presence of extranodal disease, and the presence of bulky disease (defined as >7 cm).

RESULTS

Overall incidence of BM involvement was 3.6%. Hb < 10 g/dl (P=0.02), WBC count < 4 x 10(9)/l (P=0.007) and bulky disease (P=0.06) were found to be predictive of BM involvement. Among the 120 patients without any of these three factors, only one patient had BM involvement (0.83%; 95% confidence interval 0.02% to 4.6%). The absence of all three factors gave a negative predictive value of 99.2%. Overall 3-year survival for patients without all three risk factors was 80%.

CONCLUSIONS

BM biopsy may be safely omitted in selected patients with early-stage DLBCL.

A pathologist's perspective on bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: I. Performing a bone marrow examination

The bone marrow aspirate and biopsy is an important medical procedure for the diagnosis of hematologic malignancies and other diseases, and for the follow-up evaluation of patients undergoing chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, and other forms of medical therapy. During the procedure, liquid bone marrow is aspirated from the posterior iliac crest or sternum with a special needle, smeared on glass microscope slides by one of several techniques, and stained by the Wright-Giemsa or other techniques for micro-scopic examination. The bone marrow core biopsy is obtained from the posterior iliac crest with a Jamshidi or similar needle and processed in the same manner as other surgical specimens. Flow cytometric examination, cytochemical stains, cytogenetic and molecular analysis, and other diagnostic procedures can be performed on bone marrow aspirate material, while sections prepared from the bone marrow biopsy can be stained by the immunoperoxidase or other techniques. The bone marrow procedure can be performed with a minimum of discomfort to the patient if adequate local anesthesia is utilized. Pain, bleeding, and infection are rare complications of the bone marrow procedure performed at the posterior iliac crest, while death from cardiac tamponade has rarely occurred from the sternal bone marrow aspiration. The recent development of bone marrow biopsy needles with specially sharpened cutting edges and core-securing devices has reduced the discomfort of the procedure and improved the quality of the specimens obtained.

Flow cytometry in the bone marrow staging of mature B-cell neoplasms

BACKGROUND

Even though flow cytometric (FC) analysis of bone marrow aspirates is often performed in hematolymphoid disorders at diagnosis and during disease monitoring, its role has not been defined during the staging of B-non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) and B-cell lymphoproliferative diseases. The goal of this study was to provide an objective evaluation of how FC might help in the detection of bone marrow involvement by the different types of B-cell malignant neoplasms.

METHODS

Fifty-four staging and 156 restaging bone marrow biopsies and bone marrow aspirates, obtained from 185 consecutive patients, were analyzed retrospectively. The results of the morphologic examination and FC were reviewed independently, and their ability to detect bone marrow involvement was compared.

RESULTS

FC and morphology agreed in 176 cases (83.8%), i.e., both showed 77 positive cases and 99 negative ones. Discrepant results were obtained in 30 cases (14.2%) in which morphologic examination showed 25 (11.9%) positive cases, whereas FC showed no evidence of disease. FC detected involvement in five cases (2.4%) in the presence of a histologically negative bone marrow biopsy. All morphologically undetermined bone marrow cases (four) were negative by FC.

CONCLUSIONS

Neither morphologic examination nor FC alone is adequate for the detection of all cases of B-lymphoid neoplasm bone marrow involvement. FC failed to detect bone marrow involvement in those B-NHL cases having focal paratrabecular infiltration, but proved to be more sensitive than histology in detecting small clonal B-cells in B-NHL, which demonstrated fewer than 5% neoplastic infiltrates. The clinical relevance of minimal disease detected by FC alone needs further evaluation because staging of lymphomas currently is based only on morphologic data.

Diagnostic utility of bilateral bone marrow examination: significance of morphologic and ancillary technique study in malignancy

BACKGROUND

To retrospectively evaluate the significance of morphologic examination and ancillary studies performed on bilateral bone marrow biopsy specimens, 1864 bone marrow samples were studied.

METHODS

Bilateral bone marrow biopsy specimens included 883 specimens that were evaluated for involvement by non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL); 381 specimens that were evaluated for involvement by carcinoma (CA); 362 specimens that were evaluated for involvement by Hodgkin disease (HD); 94 specimens that were evaluated for involvement by sarcoma (SA); 56 specimens that were evaluated for involvement by multiple myeloma (MM); 53 specimens that were evaluated for involvement by acute and chronic leukemia, myelodysplasia, and/or myeloproliferative disorders (LEUK); and 35 specimens that were evaluated for other reasons.

RESULTS

Of all 1864 specimens, 410 samples (22.0%) were positive for disease, including 77% of MM samples, 58% of LEUK samples, 29.6% of NHL samples, 14% of SA samples, 9.9% of HD samples, and 6.8% of CA samples. A discrepancy between the left and right sides was identified in 48 specimens (11.7% of positive samples). The discrepancy rate was 39% for HD samples, 29% for SA samples, 23% for CA samples, and 9.2% for NHL samples. No morphologic discrepancies between bilateral samples were found in MM samples or LEUK samples. Bilateral flow cytometric studies (n = 113 samples) were positive in 11 samples (9.7%; all morphologically positive), with two discrepancies detected between bilateral samples. Bilateral cytogenetic studies (n = 74 samples) were positive in 5 samples (7%), and there were no discrepancies. Bilateral molecular studies (n = 16 samples) were positive in 7 samples (44%), and there were 3 discrepancies.

CONCLUSIONS

Bilateral morphologic evaluation is useful in the evaluation of patients with NHL, HD, CA, and SA and is not indicated for patients with acute or chronic leukemia, myelodysplasia, MM, and other diseases. Bilateral flow cytometric or cytogenetic studies of bone marrow did not provide additional information in this population to justify bilateral samples. The role of bilateral molecular analysis needs to be defined further, but pooled samples for molecular studies may be adequate.

Follicular lymphomas--a review of treatment modalities

Follicular lymphoma is the most common low-grade non Hodgkin's lymphoma and represent an homogeneous entity as defined by pathological, molecular and clinical data. This indolent disease is characterised by a slow growth pattern with possible spontaneous regression, is often disseminated but remains incurable with available treatments when disseminated. For localised stages, involved field radiotherapy remains the standard choice but other approaches remain to be investigated. In advanced disease, chemotherapy has been demonstrated to produce high response rates but recent trials with new treatment strategies including interferon and monoclonal antibodies may improve the current situation. In this article, we will review treatment of follicular lymphomas, specially emphasising published phase III trials.