The myelodysplastic syndromes

Abstract

The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a very complex group of myeloid disorders characterized by peripheral blood cytopenias and morphologic evidence of dysplasia in bone marrow hematopoi-etic cellular elements. Over the last decade, significant progress has been made in the understanding of MDS. This includes the discovery of multiple molecular alterations, resulting in better classifications, the development of new prognostic scores, and newer forms of therapy. Despite these advances, most patients with MDS will succumb either to complications of the disease itself, such as infections or bleeding, or from transformation to acute myelogenous leukemia. In this chapter, I will provide a summary of current knowledge of MDS, including basic epidemiologic and molecular data, prognostic scores, and therapy, including stem cell transplantation.