Parvovirus B19 infection infrequently involved in children and adults with myelodysplastic syndrome

Parvovirus B19 infection has occasionally been reported to mimic myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or to cause worsening of anemia in MDS. We examined the presence of parvovirus DNA in a series of children ( n = 19) and adults ( n = 39) with a diagnosis of MDS. The series of adults included only refractory anemia (RA) and RA with ring sideroblasts (RARS). Investigation for parvovirus B19 DNA in bone marrow cells was performed employing the nested form of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Only a 51-year-old male with RA tested positive for parvovirus DNA. Serial examinations demonstrated the disappearance of parvovirus DNA from the bone marrow. We conclude that parvovirus infection may only rarely mimic MDS or be a superimposed infection in childhood MDS or in RA and RARS in adults.