Clinical aspects of the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with special reference to refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB).

Clinical features, prognosis and factors influencing survival, as well as long-term evolution of the disease were analyzed in 130 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with particular reference to the refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB). Survival of patients with 3 FAB subtypes, RAEB, RAEB in transformation (RAEB-T) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL) showing excess blasts was uniformly poor relative to primary acquired refractory anemia (PARA) and primary acquired sideroblastic anemia (PASA). The degree of cytopenias, karyotypic abnormalities, bone marrow cellularity, transition to acute leukemia were not reliable prognostic parameters for discrimination of RAEB with poor or good prognosis. Disease transition was frequently observed in our MDS patient population, at an overall incidence of 37.7%. Transition of PARA to RAEB occurred after a prolonged course in some patients.