The 11th International Workshop on Bone Marrow Pathology, held recently in Munich, Germany, included platform presentations focusing on cases that might present unique challenges to even experienced hematopathologists. Topics included congenital cytopenias, myelodysplasia including acute progression, and acute progression of myeloproliferative and myeloproliferative/myelodysplastic neoplasms. Of the 31 cases accepted for platform presentation, five were presented by residents and faculty members of Penn's Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia -- more than from any other of the institutions represented worldwide.

Erika Moore, MD, PGY4 resident, presented on Megaloblastic anemia (due to B12 deficiency) masking an underlying hematopoietic neoplasm with del(17p)/TP53. Craig Soderquist, MD, PGY3 resident, presented on Coexistent BCR/ABL1and JAK2 V617F: Therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia unmasks essential thrombocythemia and Diamond Blackfan anemia for T. Danielle Samulski, MD, PGY3 resident. Adam Bagg, MD, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Director of Hematology, Medical Director of Clinical Cancer Cytogenetics, and Interim Director of Hematopathology, was the senior author on these three cases. From CHOP, Rebecca L. King, MD, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, presented on Pure red cell aplasia with progression to hypocellular MDS in a child and on AML with monosomy 7 and features suggesting evolution from JMML.

At the conclusion of each of the sessions, approximately six additional cases were presented in summary form by the chair of the session. For one these summaries, all six cases were submitted by members of the Penn community, prompting the panel chair to express his gratitude to Philadelphia for contributing to the workshop's overall goals of bringing the spectrum of various hematological diseases/neoplasms to the audience and to foster general discussion around bone marrow failure. The next International Workshop on Bone Marrow Pathology will be held in Milan, Italy, in 2015.