Persistent bone marrow failure with dysplastic features following pentostatin therapy for hairy cell leukaemia

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have rarely been reported after treatment with nucleoside analogues, and mainly in patients who have also received alkylating agents. We report a patient who developed MDS (refractory anaemia with ring sideroblasts) after treatment with pentostatin (deoxycoformycin) alone.