Categories

Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration

Why Do You Need a Bone Marrow Aspiration?

Several diseases are related to unhealthy bone marrow. When a blood test is done and it show abnormal ranges of WBCs, RBCs or platelets, your doctor may recommend a bone marrow aspiration. This test is done to know what bone disease is involved and it studies the growth or treatment of a condition. Diseases associated with bone marrow problems are:

  • This occurs when you have low amount of red blood cells.
  • Storage diseases. Examples are amyloidosis or Gaucher’s disease [2].
  • Infections, especially the severe ones such as tuberculosis
  • Cancers of the bone marrow or blood which include leukemia [3] or lymphoma
  • Blood cell diseases such as leukopenia or polycythemia vera
  • Bone marrow conditions which include myelodysplastic syndrome or myelofibrosis
  • This is a genetic condition that occurs when the level of iron in the blood elevates and accumulates in organs and tissues.

Bone marrow aspiration is a vital test for people diagnosed with cancer, because it shows if the cancer has spread to the bones.