Auer rods in refractory anemia with excess of blasts: presence and significance.

Auer rods were found in the bone marrow of nine out of 56 patients having all the criteria of refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB). No differences were found in Auer-positive or Auer-negative subgroups according to cytology, kinetics, type of growth in agar, or disease course. Therefore, the presence of Auer rods in the bone marrow of patients with RAEB does not imply overt leukemia.