Safety of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy in severely thrombocytopenic patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety of fluoroscopically guided drill-assisted bone marrow aspirate and biopsy in severely thrombocytopenic patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the IRB with waiver of informed consent. Retrospective review of 111 bone marrow aspirate and biopsies (BMAB) performed in 94 patients who received a CT scan which included the pelvis and biopsy site within the 7 days following the BMAB. The 94 patients were subdivided based on their platelet count: severe thrombocytopenia (< 20 platelets × 109 /L), thrombocytopenia (20-50 platelets × 109 /L), and control (> 50 platelets × 109 /L). The procedure report was reviewed for sedation time, aspirate volume, and aggregate size of core biopsy specimens. The electronic medical record was reviewed for specimen adequacy; pathologic diagnosis; body mass index; pre- and post-procedure labs including platelet count, hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), prothrombin time (PT), and international normalized ratio (INR) levels; post-procedural transfusion; and complications including mortality at 30 and 90 days. CT scans were independently reviewed by 2 fellowship-trained radiologists for the presence of post-procedural hemorrhage.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in CT-identified post-procedural hematoma, or change in the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels pre- and post-procedure between the three groups. There was no significant difference in complication rate or all-cause mortality. There was a significant difference in transfusion at 30 days with thrombocytopenic and severely thrombocytopenic patients more likely to receive transfusion within the 30 days post-procedure.

CONCLUSION: Fluoroscopically guided BMAB can be safely performed in patients with severe thrombocytopenia.