Immunohistochemistry and Flow Cytometry in Bone Marrow Haematopathology

Immunophenotyping is an important part of the integrated haematopathologic diagnostics of bone marrow (BM) samples. Integrated diagnosis should include clinical information, peripheral blood (PB) and BM smear cytology, flow cytometry (FCM) of BM aspirate, BM trephine biopsy (BMB) morphology, BMB immunohistochemistry (IHC) and cytogenetic/molecular genetic data if appropriate. Flow cytometry and IHC provide complementary information [1]. Immunophenotyping by FCM has the advantage of measuring high numbers of cells and the possibility to evaluate co-expression of several markers in various cell populations in a multicolour setting. Immunohistochemistry provides a possibility of in situ interpretation of morphology and immunophenotype simultaneously. Double IHC stains are possible but not widely used as of yet.