What would a patient with sideroblastic anemia likely show in their bone marrow?

In a patient with sideroblastic anemia, the hallmark finding in the bone marrow is abnormal iron deposition in erythroblasts. This condition arises due to a defect in heme synthesis, leading to an accumulation of iron in the mitochondria of developing red blood cells. Consequently, these erythroblasts appear as "ringed sideroblasts" when stained and observed under a microscope. The iron deposits form a characteristic ring around the nucleus, which is a distinct feature of this type of anemia.

The presence of these ringed sideroblasts indicates that although there are plenty of iron stores, the body is unable to incorporate iron effectively into hemoglobin, which results in inefficient red blood cell production and anemia. This abnormal iron accumulation is the primary pathological feature of sideroblastic anemia and is essential for diagnosing the condition.