Can a patient with MDS have ring sideroblasts in the absence of mutation such as SF3B1?

Yes, < 50% of MDS RS have SF3B1 mutation by NGS. Malcovati et al., PMID 32347921

Absolutely! While MDS with ringed sideroblasts and SF3B1 denote a special subset of MDS with ringed sideroblasts, they can also be seen with other spliceosome mutations (SRSF2, U2AF1 or ZRSR2). In one analysis, only 1.5% of patients with MDS with low blasts and ringed sideroblasts lacked a spliceoso...