No abstract

Myelodysplastic Syndromes are oligo-clonal stem cell disorders that are associated with cytopenias in the peripheral blood. Major causes for morbidity and mortality in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients are infections mostly due to bacteria or fungi. Beside leucopenia per se in affected patients, function of white blood cells particularly that of neutrophils seems to be impaired. Here we summarize the available data on infections in MDS patients in general and particularly those treated with 5-azacitidine. K E Y W O R D S5-azacitidine, infection, myelodysplastic syndromessupportive care, socioeconomics and ethics | INTRODUCTIONMyelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are oligo-clonal diseases of the hematopoietic stem cell compartment resulting in peripheral cytopenias and a tendency of developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML).MDS show an incidence of approximately 4/100 000/year. However, MDS are mainly a disease of the elderly with a sharp increase in incidence in the age decade above 70 years. Due to the demographic change in Western countries, it is expected that the MDS will play an increasing role for these health systems. Although anemia is the predominant cytopenia in the majority of patients, about 30%-50% of patients suffer from neutropenia of varying severity. Risk assessment was initially carried out based on the particular subtypes within the FAB classification.1 The international prognostic scoring system (IPSS) was the first to include-besides medullary blast count and karyotype-the number of cytopenias, thereby indirectly taking the neutrophil count into consideration. 2 Finally, in 2012 the revised IPSS included the severity of neutropenia into risk stratification. | INFECTIONS IN MDSInfections are a well-recognized complication in patients with MDS that contributes substantially to the morbidity and mortality in patients with MDS particularly in patients suffering from neutropenia.

No abstract

No abstract