Myelodysplastic syndromes in the adolescent

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of acquired blood diseases that are the result of abnormal bone marrow function. The ineffective production of red cells, platelets, and white blood cells can lead to symptomatic anemia, bruising, infections, and the likelihood of evolution into acute myelogenous leukemia. While MDS is uncommon in the adolescent patient, a surprising number of affected individuals are also affected with a predisposing constitutional syndrome. The treatment of MDS in the adolescent patient is in part determined by symptoms and also by the historical outcomes associated with each of five morphologic categories of presentation. Improved supportive care has allowed for increasingly more children with MDS to survive into the second decade of life. The management of MDS in affected adolescents presents a number of interesting and worthwhile challenges to health care professionals.