Bone Marrow Hemosiderin and Ferrokinetics Patterns in Anemia

Abstract

Increased tissue iron in patients with pernicious anemia was first described in 1910, by Ryffel,¹who used autopsy material. Increased hemosiderin in bone marrow aspirates was demonstrated in 1948, by Rath and Finch,²who showed that such a rise in bone marrow hemosiderin is common to all anemias except that of iron deficiency and that it is due largely to a shift of iron from the red blood cells to storage.³Beutler recently reviewed quantitative aspects of iron stores.⁴The present study of marrow hemosiderin deals with its pattern of distribution rather than its total amount. Whenever possible observations on its microscopic appearance were correlated with data obtained from ferrokinetic measurements. Methods and Material Bone marrow aspirations were performed using a 16 gauge needle* and a 10 ml. syringe previously rinsed with a 10% solution of edathamil disodium (Disodium Versenate). The aspirate was ejected on an