⚫ “Black” Bone Marrow The journal Diagnostic Cytopathology described an impressive case of metastatic melanoma: a completely black trephine biopsy due to abundant melanin content. A patient with a history of polypoid melanoma developed anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leucoerythroblastosis 7 years later. Biopsy showed complete replacement by tumor cells. Bone marrow aspirate revealed single tumor cells with green-brown granules and melanophages against a background of absent normal hematopoiesis.
📌 The prognosis is unfavorable!
😐 The patient’s condition progressively worsened, requiring multiple transfusions of red blood cells and platelets, and two months after the diagnosis of metastasis, he died due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
❗Source: Domínguez‐Muñoz M. Á. et al. Black bone marrow: variable cytoplasmic melanin content in malignant melanoma cells in bone marrow aspirate //Diagnostic Cytopathology. – 2015. – Т. 43. – №. 6. – С. 478-481.
