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. 2013 Nov 15;110(46):783–790. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2013.0783

eTable 1. WHO classification of myelodysplastic syndromes and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasias (11, 12).

MDS subtype Blood Bone marrow
Refractory cytopenia with unilineage dysplasia (RCUD)
Refractory anemia (RA)
Refractory neutropenia (RN)
Refractory thrombocytopenia (RT)
<1% blasts
Uni- or bicytopenia
<5% blasts
Dysplasia in ≥10% of cells of only one lineage
Refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts (RARS) Anemia, no blasts <5% blasts, ≥ 15% ring sideroblasts within erythropoiesis, exclusively dyserythropoiesis
Refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD) with or without ring sideroblasts <1% blasts
Cytopenia
<1000/μl monocytes
<5% blasts, signs of dysplasia in ≥10% of cells of 2 to 3 lineages
MDS with isolated del(5q) <1% blasts
Anemia, platelets often increased
Mostly typical mononuclear megakaryocytes, <5% blasts, isolated del(5q) abnormality
Refractory anemia with excess of blasts I (RAEB I) Cytopenia
<5% blasts
<1000/μl monocytes
Uni- or multilineage dysplasia, blasts 5% to 9%, no Auer rods
Refractory anemia with excess of blasts II (RAEB II) Cytopenia
<20% blasts
<1000/μl monocytes
Auer rods may be found
Uni- or multilineage dysplasia, blasts 10% to 19%, Auer rods may be found
Unclassified MDS (MDS-U)
RCUD with pancytopenia
RCMD/RCUD with 1% blasts in blood
MDS-typical chromosomal aberration without clear signs of dysplasia
<1% blasts
<1000/μl monocytes
<5% blasts
Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasias
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia I (CMML I) <5% blasts
Uni- or bicytopenia
1000/μL monocytes
No Auer rods
<10% blasts, dysplasia in >10% of cells of 1 to 3 lineages, no Auer rods
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia II (CMML II) <20% blasts
Uni- oder bicytopenia
1000/µL monocytes
Auer rods may be found
<20% blasts, dysplasia in >10% of cells of 1 to 3 lineages, Auer rods may be found
Refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis (RARS-T) Cytopenia
450000/μL platelets
<1% blasts
<5% blasts, >15% ring sideroblasts within erythropoiesis, dysplasia in >10% of cells of 1 to 3 lineages, no Auer rods, often sf3b1 and jak-2 mutations

WHO, World Health Organization; MDS, myelodysplastic syndromes