Neutropenia (decreased neutrophil count) and thrombocytopenia (reduced platelet count) are also observed in MDS. Patients with MDS commonly have neutrophil counts less than 1,800/mcL and platelet counts less than 100,000/mcL.
Organomegaly (large liver and spleen) is not commonly observed in MDS, unlike myeloproliferative neoplasm (chronic myeloid leukemia), associated with liver and spleen enlargement.
Patients are not diagnosed with MDS without complete knowledge of clinical and drug history. Repeated bone marrow biopsies over several months may be necessary in some cases to establish this diagnosis.
