Malignant myeloid disorders have broadly similar responses to cytogenetic techniques and many have similar chromosome abnormalities. Included are diseases that are frankly malignant, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and some that may be regarded as premalignant, such as the myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). A proportion of the premalignant group may progress to acute leukemia but they are serious diseases in their own right, often difficult to treat, and may be fatal. They are all clonal disorders, that is, the bone marrow includes a population of cells ultimately derived from a single abnormal cell, which usually tends to expand and eventually suppress or replace the growth and development of normal blood cells. This group of disorders includes the following:
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The myeloproliferative disorders (MPD)
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The chronic myeloid leukemias (CML)
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The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
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Aplastic anemia (AA)
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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
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