DEAR DR. GOTT:
Would you please discuss myelodysplastic anemia? I would like to know the symptoms, cause and treatment.

I was diagnosed with this condition but cannot find much information about it. I was given another name for it but don’t remember it.

DEAR READER:
Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of disorders that affect the bone marrow and stem cells. There are eight subtypes but because of space restrictions I cannot list and explain each type. Without knowing which subtype you have, I can only give general information that is relevant to each type.

Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, frequent infections, petechiae (pinpoint bruising), unusual paleness due to anemia, easy or unusual bruising, and unintentional weight loss. Early in the disorders, symptoms are generally mild, if present at all. [Read more...]