title: A nationwide non-interventional epidemiological data registry on myelodysplastic syndromes in Lebanon.
abstract: Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal hematopoietic disorders characterized by peripheral blood cytopenias, blood cells dysplasia, and increased risk for progression to acute leukemia.Physicians should be vigilant in diagnosing MDS and should be aware of the contemporary therapies that are always in progress. Most of the data on MDS epidemiology and management comes from developed countries. The incidence and features of MDS in the Arab countries, among them Lebanon, are not known. We undertook a nationwide epidemiological registry study of all newly diagnosed MDS cases through 2010-2011. Patients were referred by 21 hematologists/oncologists practicing in 17 hospitals and medical centers distributed across the entire country. 58 patients (29 males and 29 females) with confirmed MDS were included. The calculated incidence rate of MDS was 0.71 per 100,000 people. The median age at diagnosis was 73 years (range 16-86). The most common complaints on presentation were fatigue (70.7%), weakness (60.3%) and pallor (43.1%). Most patients were diagnosed as refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB; 36.2%) and refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD; 32.8%). This paper constitutes the first epidemiological report on the incidence and specific subtypes of MDS in Lebanon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Zaher K
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Otrock
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Nabil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chamseddine
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ziad M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.affiliation: Lebanese Canadian Hospital Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wehbe
authors.affiliation: Al-Koura Hospital Al-Koura, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Mouna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Ayoubi
authors.affiliation: Labib Medical Center Saida, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Moussa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dhaini
authors.affiliation: Hôtel-Dieu de France University Hospital Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kattan
authors.affiliation: Islamic Hospital Tripoli, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mokaddem
authors.affiliation: Middle East Institute of Health Bsalim, Al-Metn, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Therese Abi
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Nasr
authors.affiliation: Labib Medical Center Saida, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Oussama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jradi
authors.affiliation: Saint Joseph University and Lebanese University Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Fadi S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Farhat
authors.affiliation: Hammoud Hospital University Medical Center Saida, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wehbe
authors.affiliation: Bahman Hospital Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Mohammad H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Haidar
authors.affiliation: Department of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Moffitt Cancer Center Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kharfan-Dabaja
authors.affiliation: Sahel General Hospital Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bitar
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Mirna El
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hajj
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tel Chiha Hospital Zahle, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Adel M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kadri
authors.affiliation: Clemenceau Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Francois G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Kamar
authors.affiliation: Sibline Governmental Hospital Sibline, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yassine
authors.affiliation: Haykal Hospital Tripoli, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khodr
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ali T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Taher
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Noha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hakime
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, American University of Beirut Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Rami Ar
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mahfouz
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Rizk Hospital University Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Wassim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Serhal
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bazarbachi
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Rizk Hospital University Medical Center Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Hussein Z
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Farhat
keywords: Lebanon; Myelodysplastic syndromes; diagnosis; epidemiology; features; registry