Low bone marrow volume

[4horses]

I have a sister who has been sick for a while, gradually getting worse. Over the last year she has lost a TON of hair, she has joint pains, shortness of breath, and very tired. She got blood work at her doctor's office and he said she was very anemic and that there were some abnormal cells and he wanted her to go to a hematologist. She did. They took more blood and did a test for lupus and RA and those 2 tests were essentially negative but she was even more anemic, so they wanted to do a bone marrow biopsy. When they did the bone marrow, they did not get enough marrow to test but the bone biopsy showed caseating granulomas. They just did another bone marrow aspiration yesterday to test that and they had a real hard time getting anything to aspirate. They mentioned "dust" a few times.?? The pathologist said they got enough though for the doctor to make the diagnosis and that he was leaning towards 2 different things but could not say what. It will be another week before we hear anything from the doctor and I was wondering what these 2 things possibly could be or what it sounds like to you guys. Thanks for any information.

[John Kenyon, CNA]

Hello -

There are a few conditions in which production of bone marrow can be suppressed. Since blood platelets are manufactured by the bone marrow, it follows that whatever would suppress marrow production would eventually cause profound anemia. Two things which come to mind out of several are mesothelioma and leukemia. There are also some toxic conditions which can cause this to happen.

Whatever is going on sounds as though it is fairly well advanced, but if it has a toxic cause rather than a strictly pathological one it may be simpler to treat. It sounds as though your sister will probably require a bone marrow transplant unless there is a correctable toxicity that can be corrected.

I realize this isn't much of an answer, but what you describe is a very serious derangement of the blood-making process. You and your sister will have an answer soon. Please follow up with us here when you know more. Best of luck to you and especially to your sister.

[John Kenyon, CNA]

Hello -

There are a few conditions in which production of bone marrow can be suppressed. Since blood platelets are manufactured by the bone marrow, it follows that whatever would suppress marrow production would eventually cause profound anemia. Two things which come to mind out of several are mesothelioma and leukemia. There are also some toxic conditions which can cause this to happen.

Whatever is going on sounds as though it is fairly well advanced, but if it has a toxic cause rather than a strictly pathological one it may be simpler to treat. It sounds as though your sister will probably require a bone marrow transplant unless there is a correctable toxicity that can be corrected.

I realize this isn't much of an answer, but what you describe is a very serious derangement of the blood-making process. You and your sister will have an answer soon. Please follow up with us here when you know more. Best of luck to you and especially to your sister.

[John Kenyon, CNA]

Hello -

There are a few conditions in which production of bone marrow can be suppressed. Since blood platelets are manufactured by the bone marrow, it follows that whatever would suppress marrow production would eventually cause profound anemia. Two things which come to mind out of several are mesothelioma and leukemia. There are also some toxic conditions which can cause this to happen.

Whatever is going on sounds as though it is fairly well advanced, but if it has a toxic cause rather than a strictly pathological one it may be simpler to treat. It sounds as though your sister will probably require a bone marrow transplant unless there is a correctable toxicity that can be corrected.

I realize this isn't much of an answer, but what you describe is a very serious derangement of the blood-making process. You and your sister will have an answer soon. Please follow up with us here when you know more. Best of luck to you and especially to your sister.