Prognostic factors in myelodysplastic syndromes - Specific prospects for children

Myelodysplastic syndromes may occur in rare occasions in childhood. They are identified by the same morphologic features and quantitative parameters as those used for adults. They regularly progress to refractory leukemia, and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation seems to be the best treatment at the moment. Bicytopenia not associated with anemia might be a different entity since outcome of patients is better. Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia had the worse outcome since all children died, most of them after termination of leukemia.