title: To evaluate the role of bone marrow aspiration and bone marrow biopsy in pancytopenia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pancytopenia is not a disease entity but a triad of findings that may result from various disease processes, primarily or secondarily involving the bone marrow. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy evaluation along with good clinical correlation is of utmost importance to evaluate the causes of pancytopenia and planning further investigations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was a prospective clinicohaematological study undertaken to analyse the various causes of pancytopenia by evaluating bone marrow aspiration and biopsy and correlating with clinical findings, complete blood counts and peripheral blood picture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients of pancytopenia were included in the study in which relevant history and physical examination findings were recorded. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy were performed simultaneously in all cases. Perl's stain was done in all cases and special stains like MPO, PAS and reticulin were also done wherever necessary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The maximum cases of pancytopenia were in the age group of 10 to 30 y with male preponderance. Aplastic anaemia was found to be the most common aetiology of pancytopenia followed by normoblastic erythroid hyperplasia, megaloblastic anaemia, acute leukemias, myelofibrosis, lymphoid neoplasia and iron deficiency anaemia. It was concluded from the study that although the advantages of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy differ, both are complimentary to each other and should be performed simultaneously for a complete bone marrow work up and evaluation. It is only through the correlation of clinical, hematological and bone marrow examination findings that proper evaluation and management of patients of pancytopenia can be made.
authors.affiliation: Post-Graduate Student, Department of Pathology, Government Medical College , Amritsar, India .
authors.forename: Melina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desalphine
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Government Medical College , Amritsar, India .
authors.forename: Permeet Kaur
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Bagga
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Government Medical College , Amritsar, India .
authors.forename: Parmod Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Pathology, Government Medical College , Amritsar, India .
authors.forename: Amarjit Singh
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kataria
keywords: Aplastic; Aspiration; Biopsy; Bone; Marrow; Pancytopenia