Inadvertent arterial & venous injury by bone marrow biopsy needle: case report on rescue embolization techniques

Blast-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles in the Plasma of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Predict Responses to Chemotherapy

The small extracellular vesicles (sEV) accumulating in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients' plasma are mixtures of vesicles produced by leukemic and non-malignant cells. sEV originating from leukemia blasts could serve as potential non-invasive biomarkers of AML response to therapy. To isolate blast-derived sEV from patients' plasma, we developed a bioprinted microarray-based immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for leukemia-associated antigens (LAAs) and mAbs specific for a mix of tetraspanins (CD9, CD63, and CD81). We determined the proportion of LAA+ sEV relative to total plasma sEV (the LAA+/total sEV ratio) in serially collected samples of newly diagnosed AML patients prior to, during, and after chemotherapy. At AML diagnosis, the LAA+/total sEV ratio was significantly higher in patients than in healthy donors (HDs). In patients who achieved complete remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy, the LAA+/total sEV ratios significantly decreased after each chemotherapy cycle to levels seen in HDs. In contrast, the LAA+/total sEV ratios in AML patients with persistent leukemia after therapy remained elevated during and after therapy, as did the percentage of leukemic blasts in these patients' bone marrows. The LAA+/total sEV ratio emerges as a promising non-invasive biomarker of leukemia response to therapy.

Traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the internal iliac artery following bone marrow aspiration in a child: An extremely rare complication of a very common procedure

Presented here is a very rare and potentially life-threatening complication of a very common procedure. Vascular injury with traumatic pseudoaneurysm following BMAT in a paediatric patient has only been reported once in the literature to the best of our knowledge. Presented here is a second case, with pathognomonic imaging findings on CT that underwent successful coil embolisation.

Complications associated with improper palpation-guided iliac bone marrow biopsy tracts identified on follow-up imaging

OBJECTIVE

Bone marrow biopsy complications are rare. Our aim is to study the association of improper palpation-guided iliac biopsy tract with complications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study of adult patients who underwent iliac bone marrow biopsy without image guidance at our hospital from January 2019 to January 2021, and have cross-sectional radiologic imaging of the pelvis within 30 days following the procedure. Electronic health records were reviewed for clinical data. Two radiologists reviewed images of the pelvis for assessment of biopsy tract and complications.

RESULTS

A total of 443 procedures were included in 309 patients, mean age 53.4 ± 18.1 years, 112 females (36.2%). In addition, 332 tracts were proper (75%), 97 improper (22%), and 14 unidentified (3%). All 11 complications occurred in procedures with improper tracts; nine bleeding, one fracture, and one facet joint injury. Improper tract was significantly associated with complications (p < .001). There was no statistically significant association between platelet count, international normalized ratio, antiplatelet use and anticoagulant use, and presence of complications (p > .05). Body mass index and subcutaneous fat thickness overlying posterior superior iliac spine were not associated with improper tract (p > .05). Procedures performed by providers with ≤ 12 months' experience were significantly associated with improper tract (p < .001) and hence associated with complications (p = .007).

CONCLUSION

Improper tracts were common in palpation-guided iliac bone marrow biopsy and significantly associated with complications. No complications were encountered in proper tract procedures. Procedures performed by providers with ≤ 12 months' experience were significantly associated with improper tract and complications.