Myelodysplastic syndrome (myelodysplasia)

What are the symptoms?

For most people, symptoms are mild at first and slowly get worse.You may initially experience:

weakness, tiredness and occasional breathlessness because ofthe low number of red blood cells
frequent infections because ofthe low number of white blood cells
bruising and easy bleeding (such as nosebleeds ) because ofthe low number of platelets

Some types of MDSdevelop more quickly than others. Some people with MDS don't have any symptoms, and their condition is picked up after they have blood tests for something else.

Symptoms will depend on the type of MDS you have for example, some people just have a problem with their red blood cells and have symptoms of anaemia , while others may lack all types of healthy blood cell.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for myelodysplastic syndrome (myelodysplasia)

Introduction

Myelodysplastic syndrome (myelodysplasia or MDS) is a blood disorder that causes a drop in your number of healthy blood cells.

What happens in MDS?

Normally, bone marrow produces: red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body white blood cells to help fight infection platelets to help your blood to clot In MDS,your bone marrow doesn't ma

The main types of MDS

The main types of myelodysplasia are: refractory anaemia just the red blood cells are affected refractory cytopenia the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are affected refrac

What are the symptoms?

For most people, symptoms are mild at first and slowly get worse.You may initially experience: weakness, tiredness and occasional breathlessness because ofthe low number of red blood cells freq

Who is affected?

MDS can affect people of any age, but is most common in people aged 65-70 years. Onlyone infive people with MDS are younger than 50.

What are the causes?

In most cases, the causeis unknown this is called primary MDS. However,exposure to the chemical benzene used in the rubber industry, and found in petrol is known to increaseyour risk of developin

How is it diagnosed?

MDS is diagnosedby carrying out blood tests and bone marrow tests. Blood tests will show how many normal and abnormal blood cells you have. A bone marrow test is done under local anaesthetic , which

Cancer risk

Some people with MDS go on to develop acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) , which is cancer of the white blood cells. This is known as "transformation". According to Cancer Research UK, the risk varies fro

How is MDS treated?

Treatment will depend on your type of MDS, your risk group, and whether you have any other health conditions. The aim is to get the number and type of blood cells in your bloodstream back to normal,

Information about you

If you have MDS, your clinical team will pass information about you on to the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service (NCARDRS). This helps scientists look for better ways

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