Erythroid Hypoplasia in Myelofibrosis: a Feature Associated with Blastic Transformation

Abstract
Four cases of myelofibrosis have shown a pattern which is usually found only where there is erythroid hypoplasia, and in none of these was there evidence of extramedullary erythropoiesis; 3 of these cases terminated in a blastic phase. The occurrence of erythroid hypoplasia in myelofibrosis may be associated with blastic transformation; whether as a predisposing factor or a secondary event is still speculative. This phenomenon is discussed in relation to the natural history of myelofibrosis.