Myelodysplasia may refer to myelodysplastic syndromes, which cause pathological hematopoiesis leading to thrombocytopenia. Treatment can be general, pharmacologic or surgical, and the doctor will decide on the treatment based on the patient’s specific condition.
Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of heterogeneous myeloid clonal disorders originating from hematopoietic stem cells. The cause of myelodysplastic syndromes is not fully understood and may be related to exposure to adverse physical and chemical factors. Typical symptoms include anemia, infection, and bleeding, of which about 20% to 60% of patients with bleeding symptoms have thrombocytopenia.
1. General treatment: Red blood cells and platelets can be transfused for severe anemia and bleeding symptoms. Those with granulocytopenia and lack of granulocytes should pay attention to the prevention and treatment of infection. Those who have iron overload due to long-term blood transfusion should be treated with iron expulsion, and the commonly used iron expulsion drugs include deferoxamine and deferasirox.
2. Drug therapy: erythropoietin and androgens can be considered, which can improve the hematopoietic function of some patients, and the related drugs include danazol, testosterone undecanoate, testosterone propionate, etc. In addition, decitrate should be given. In addition, decitabine, azacitidine, cytarabine and other drugs should be given for etiologic treatment.
3. Surgery: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only possible cure for myelodysplastic syndromes at present, and it is suitable for patients younger than 65 years old in the higher-risk group of myelodysplastic syndromes, or patients younger than 65 years old in the lower-risk group of myelodysplastic syndromes accompanied by severe hematopenia, ineffective with other treatments, or accompanied by genetic abnormalities with poor prognosis.
Patients should follow the doctor’s instructions for treatment, do not blindly treat themselves to avoid delaying the disease.