Classifications and prognosis of myelodysplastic syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) form a heterogeneous group of clonal hemopathies that are on the increase due to an aging population. Study objective: to establish the FAB and WHO 2008 classifications, IPSS and WPSS prognostic scores of 85 MDS diagnosed at our center over a 5-year period. The mean age of patients was 63.8 years. Anemia was present in 85% of patients. Dysplasia of the 3 erythroblastic, granular and megakaryocytic lineages was found in 75%, 85% and 68% of cases respectively. Cytogenetic abnormalities were present in 33% of cases, with 5q- abnormalities predominating. Refractory anemias and refractory cytopenias with multilineage dysplasia were most frequently observed. Low- and intermediate-risk groups1 according to the IPSS and low- and high-risk groups according to the WPSS were the most represented. Median survival was significantly different between prognostic groups. Transformation to acute myeloid leukemia occurred in 32% of cases. The risk of transformation was significantly different between MDS prognostic groups.