Bone Marrow Aspiration Findings in Patients with Unexplained Anaemia at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, South South Nigeria

This study describes bone marrow aspiration findings in patients with unexplained or refractory anaemia at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Edo State, South South Nigeria. Bone marrow examination remains the gold standard for diagnosing haematological disorders that cannot be characterised by peripheral blood analysis alone. A retrospective study reviewed bone marrow aspiration reports of 120 patients investigated for unexplained anaemia over a three-year period. Clinical data, full blood count parameters, and peripheral blood film findings were correlated with bone marrow morphological diagnoses. Haematological causes identified included aplastic anaemia in 22.5 percent, megaloblastic anaemia in 18.3 percent, myelodysplastic syndrome in 11.7 percent, leukaemic marrow infiltration in 8.3 percent, and marrow hypoplasia of undetermined aetiology in 14.2 percent. Iron deficiency and anaemia of chronic disease accounted for 25 percent of cases. A normocellular marrow with no specific pathology was found in the remaining cases. The study highlights the diagnostic value of bone marrow aspiration in clarifying the aetiology of anaemia not explained by routine peripheral investigations. It recommends that unexplained anaemia persisting beyond four weeks of empirical treatment should prompt bone marrow examination at UBTH, and calls for procurement of additional bone marrow aspiration sets to meet the diagnostic demand in the haematology unit. Keywords: bone marrow aspiration, unexplained anaemia, aplastic anaemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, Benin City.