Table 1.

The WHO classification of myelodysplastic syndromes.

DiseaseBlood FindingsBone Marrow Findings
Refractory anemia (RA) Anemia
 No or rare blasts
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Erythroid dysplasia only
 < 10% grans or megas dysplastic
 < 5% blasts
 < 15% ringed sideroblasts 
Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS) Anemia
 No blasts Erythroid dysplasia only
 < 10% grans or megas dysplastic
 ≥ 15% ringed sideroblasts
 < 5% blasts 
Refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD) Cytopenias (bicytopenia or pancytopenia)
 No or rare blasts
 No Auer rods
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Dysplasia in ≥ 10% of cells in two or more myeloid cell lines
 < 5% blasts in marrow
 No Auer rods
 < 15% ringed sideroblasts 
Refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia and ringed sideroblasts (RCMD-RS) Cytopenias (bicytopenia or pancytopenia)
 No or rare blasts
 No Auer rods
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Dysplasia in ≥ 10% of cells in two or more myeloid cell lines
 ≥ 5% ringed sideroblasts
 < 5% blasts
 No Auer rods 
Refractory anemia with excess blasts–1 (RAEB-1) Cytopenias
 < 5% blasts
 No Auer rods
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Unilineage or multilineage dysplasia
 5–9% blasts
 No Auer rods 
Refractory anemia with excess blasts–2 (RAEB-2) Cytopenias
 5–19% blasts
 Auer rods +/−
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Unilineage or multilineage dysplasia
 10–19% blasts
 Auer rods +/− 
Myelodysplastic syndrome, unclassified (MDS-U) Cytopenias
 No or rare blasts
 No Auer rods Unilineage gran or mega dysplasia
 < 5% blasts
 No Auer rods 
MDS associated with isolated del (5q) Anemia
 < 5% blasts
 Platelets normal or increased Normal to increased megakaryocytes with hypolobated nuclei
 < 5% blasts
 No Auer rods
 Isolated del (5q) 
DiseaseBlood FindingsBone Marrow Findings
Refractory anemia (RA) Anemia
 No or rare blasts
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Erythroid dysplasia only
 < 10% grans or megas dysplastic
 < 5% blasts
 < 15% ringed sideroblasts 
Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS) Anemia
 No blasts Erythroid dysplasia only
 < 10% grans or megas dysplastic
 ≥ 15% ringed sideroblasts
 < 5% blasts 
Refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD) Cytopenias (bicytopenia or pancytopenia)
 No or rare blasts
 No Auer rods
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Dysplasia in ≥ 10% of cells in two or more myeloid cell lines
 < 5% blasts in marrow
 No Auer rods
 < 15% ringed sideroblasts 
Refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia and ringed sideroblasts (RCMD-RS) Cytopenias (bicytopenia or pancytopenia)
 No or rare blasts
 No Auer rods
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Dysplasia in ≥ 10% of cells in two or more myeloid cell lines
 ≥ 5% ringed sideroblasts
 < 5% blasts
 No Auer rods 
Refractory anemia with excess blasts–1 (RAEB-1) Cytopenias
 < 5% blasts
 No Auer rods
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Unilineage or multilineage dysplasia
 5–9% blasts
 No Auer rods 
Refractory anemia with excess blasts–2 (RAEB-2) Cytopenias
 5–19% blasts
 Auer rods +/−
 < 1 × 109/L monocytes Unilineage or multilineage dysplasia
 10–19% blasts
 Auer rods +/− 
Myelodysplastic syndrome, unclassified (MDS-U) Cytopenias
 No or rare blasts
 No Auer rods Unilineage gran or mega dysplasia
 < 5% blasts
 No Auer rods 
MDS associated with isolated del (5q) Anemia
 < 5% blasts
 Platelets normal or increased Normal to increased megakaryocytes with hypolobated nuclei
 < 5% blasts
 No Auer rods
 Isolated del (5q) 

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