To evaluate the value and significance of testing megakaryocyte micronuclei in bone marrow smears for hematopathy diagnosis.

Bone marrow smears from a total of 863 cases of patients with hemopathy were collected from 2002 to 2009 at the second affiliated hospital of zhejiang university school of medicine. Smears from 25 healthy individuals were used as control. The bone marrow smears were subjected to Wright-Giemsa staining. The number of megakaryocytes, morphous and positive rate of megakaryocyte micronucleis were recorded by using low power lens and immersion objective. Statistical differences of positive rate in the different diseases, pathologic subtypes, total number and type of megakaryocyte were analyzed.

The megakaryocyte micronucleis were round or oval with varying size, distributed in paranuclear or away from nuclear and even free in extracellular, which could be observed in large and medium megakaryocytes. The positive rate of megakaryocyte micronucleis was highest in myeloid leukemia, particularly in the subtype of M6, M2, M4 and M5b with dyshaematopoiesis. Megakaryocyte micronucleis could also be found in MA, infection and benzolism, but rarely observed in the lymphocytic leukemia.

The detection of megakaryocyte micronuclei was related with its amount, size and type. There is significant difference of the postive rates of megakaryocyte micronuclei testing among the different hematopathies and pathologic subtypes. Megakaryocyte micronuclei testing should be valuable in the the diagnoses of hematopathy.(Chin J Lab Med, 2016, 39: 197-200)

Megakaryocytes; Micronucleus tests; Bone marrow cells