College of Laboratory Medicine in Poland: Recommendations for Performing Aspiration and Cytological Assessment of Bone Marrow

Abstract

Cytological assessment of bone marrow remains one of the most important tests in hematology for many decades. Quite recently, in 2008, International Council for Standardization in Hematology (ICSH) published their recommendations concerning techniques of bone marrow aspiration, smear preparation and microscopic assessment rules. Based on these recommendations, Working Group for Hematology of the College of Laboratory Medicine in Poland proposed national guidelines, taking into account the specificity of Polish health care system. This article contains the rules, which should be followed during bone marrow aspirate examination, with the aim to improve the quality of the analysis. The technique of aspiration was presented in detail. The list of data, which should be transferred together with the sample to the laboratory, the methods of preparing and staining of smears, rules for microscopic assessment and preparing of final report are also included.