ICH - ISHBT Recommendations on Synoptic Reporting of Bone Marrow Biopsy

Bone marrow aspirate and trephine biopsy examinations are indispensable components of the diagnostic workup for a wide spectrum of hematological and non-hematological disorders. An ideal bone marrow report should provide a comprehensive and integrated evaluation of all available specimens, including aspirate smears, imprint (touch) preparations, cytochemistry, and trephine biopsy sections. It should also indicate the need for further appropriate ancillary investigations such as immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and molecular studies when indicated. These findings should be interpreted in conjunction with the clinical history and other relevant laboratory data to ensure an accurate, meaningful, and clinically relevant diagnosis, facilitate therapeutic decision-making, and support optimal patient management. This document provides practical recommendations for developing a standardized synoptic reporting format for bone marrow biopsy. The proposed framework is intended to be practical, reproducible, and readily implementable, thereby promoting uniformity, consistency, and quality in bone marrow reporting across India.