Fauzia Shaft Khan, Muhammad Tayyabtahira Tasneem, Naseer Ahmed Chaudrhy.
Bone Marrow infiltration in non-Hodgkin`s Lymphomas.
Pak Postgrad Med J Jan ;11(1):8-11.

Bone marrow is a frequent site of involvement in non-Hodgkin`s lymphomas (NHL). Examination of the bone marrow is generally routinely carried out during the examination and staging of patients with NHL The present` study was conducted to determine the frequency and pattern of bone marrow involvement in patients with NHL and the particular value of bilateral bone marrow biopsy, as compared with unilateral bone marrow biopsy In the initial staging of this disease. Bilateral trephine and aspiration bone marrow biopsies were performed at the time of initial diagnosis in 65 patients with NHL 22 (34%) cases exhibited marrow involvement on bone marrow trephine biopsy; while only 7 (11%) cases had positive bone marrow aspirate smears. Bone marrow trephine biopsies revealed bilateral infiltration in 14 (215%) cases and unilateral infiltration in 8 (123%) cases. The commonest pattern of marrow infiltration was diffuse, being present in 59% cases followed by interstitial pattern in 36%, focal paratrabacular pattern in 4.5% while focal. Nonparatrabacular pattern of marrow infiltration was not observed in any case. We conclude that bone marrow trephine biopsies are superior to bone marrow aspirates in detecting lymphoma infiltrates In the bone marrow and that the practice of performing bilateral rather than unilateral bone marrow biopsy, when searching for lymphoma in the bone marrow should be encouraged.

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