Audit of the value of bone marrow aspirates when a bone marrow trephine is used for lymphoma staging

Bone marrow involvement is assessed in lymphoma staging/restaging following treatment/relapse by a combination of an aspirate and trephine biopsy. Of 262 consecutive cases staged by aspirate and trephine, the aspirate yielded a diagnosis when a trephine did not in only 11.8%. Trephine biopsies were positive in 34.7% cases and equivocal/insufficient in 14.9%, while aspirates were positive in 11.1% cases and equivocal/insufficient in 21%. We suggest that in the majority of cases, it may be acceptable either to store an aspirate for reporting only if the trephine is inconclusive or to take a trephine biopsy without an aspirate. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.