Bone marrow biopsy (BMB). I. Generalities, material and method, normal structure of bone marrow, pathological...

The authors presented in their first note generalities concerning the normal and pathological structure of bone marrow (BM), based on their personal experience (1,500 BMB) and on the literature. A short historical survey and the adopted research method are presented. The advantage of Burkhardt's myelotomy with its technical process by embedding in synthetic resins to avoid decalcification are discussed. The authors have used Jamshidi's cannula (or some other similar needle) with the subsequent embedding in paraffin after decalcification. Further papers will analyse the approach, by BMB, of the myeloproliferative disorders, myelodysplasia, lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease, cancer metastases and medullar aplasia.