Friday, February, 10, 2012

Bone marrow biopsy

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Biopsy - bone marrow


Normal Values

A normal result means the bone marrow contains the proper number and types of blood-forming (hematopoietic) cells, fat cells, and connective tissues.


What abnormal results mean

Abnormal results may be due to cancers of the bone marrow (leukemia or Hodgkin's disease).

The results may detect the cause of anemia (too few red blood cells), abnormal white blood cells, or thrombocytopenia (too few platelets).

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

  • Disseminated coccidioidomycosis
  • Hairy cell leukemia
  • Hodgkin's lymphoma
  • Idiopathic aplastic anemia
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Neuroblastoma
  • Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
  • Polycythemia vera
  • Primary amyloid
  • Primary myelofibrosis
  • Primary thrombocythemia
  • Secondary aplastic anemia
  • Secondary systemic amyloid

Review Date: 06/02/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)