RT - Journal TY - JOUR A1 - Yuguda, Saleh A1 - Girei, Ahmed A1 - Pindiga, Kasim A1 - Dachi, Rufai A1 - Lawan, Aliyu A1 - Abdullahi, Yusuf T1 - Indications and diagnostic utility of bone marrow aspiration cytology: A 12-year experience at a tertiary health center in Gombe, Northeastern Nigeria YR - 2020/7/1 JF - Annals of Tropical Pathology JO - Ann Trop Pathol SP - 119 OP - 122 VO - 11 IS - 2 UL - https://www.atpjournal.org/article.asp?issn=2251-0060;year=2020;volume=11;issue=2;spage=119;epage=122;aulast=Yuguda;t=5 DO - 10.4103/atp.atp_15_20 N2 - Background: Bone marrow aspiration (BMA) cytology is very important in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of both hematological and nonhematological disorders. It has several indications ranging from the evaluation of cytopenias to staging and assessment of remission in the course of management. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the indications and diagnostic utility of BMA cytology at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria. Methodology: A retrospective review of BMA cytology records performed at the department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, over a 12-year period from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2017. Results: A total of 596 BMAs were performed over the study period. The age ranges were from 2 months to 88 years, with a median age of 36 years. Majority of the patients were males (61%). The most common indication for the bone marrow examination was for the evaluation of recurrent anemia 32.2%, followed by presumptive diagnosis of leukemia 27.7%. Normal marrow finding constituted 4.7%, while the diagnosis was inconclusive in 4.2% of the cases. The most frequently diagnosed diseases are the nutritional deficiency anemia together accounting for about one-third of the cases (megaloblastic anemia 20.3%, combined deficiency anemia 9.9%, and iron deficiency anemia 2.5%) and leukemia. Conclusion: Anemia and leukemia are the most common indication for BMA, and nutritional deficiency anemia is the major BMA diagnosis in Gombe, Northeastern Nigeria. ER -