Aplastic anemia definition

Overview Pancytopenia is a condition in which a person’s body has too few red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Each of these blood cell types has a different job in the body: • • • Platelets allow your blood to form clots. If you have pancytopenia, you have a combination of three different blood diseases: • • leukopenia, or low level of white blood cells • Because your body needs all of these blood cells, pancytopenia can be very serious. It can even be life-threatening if you don’t treat it. Mild pancytopenia often doesn’t cause symptoms. Your doctor might discover it while doing a blood test for another reason. More severe pancytopenia can cause symptoms including: • shortness of breath • pale skin • fatigue • weakness • fever • dizziness • easy bruising • bleeding • tiny purple spots on your skin, called petechiae • larger purple spots on your skin, called • bleeding gums and nosebleeds • fast heart rate If you or someone close to you has any of the following serious symptoms and pancytopenia, get medical care right away: • fever over 101˚F (38.3˚C) • • heavy bleeding • severe shortness of breath • • Pancytopenia starts because of a problem with your bone marrow. This spongy tissue inside bones is where blood cells are produced. Diseases and exposure to certain drugs and chemicals can lead to this bone marrow damage. You’re more likely to develop pancytopenia if you have one of these conditions: • cancers that affect the bone marrow, such as: • • • • • • •...

Aplastic anemia is a medical condition that damages stem cells in a person’s bone marrow. These cells are responsible for making red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, which are vital to human health. Doctors believe various conditions can cause aplastic Medical advancements mean that aplastic anemia is more treatable than ever. In this article, learn more about this rare medical disorder. Share on Pinterest Headaches, dizziness, and fatigue are common symptoms of aplastic anemia. When a person has aplastic anemia, their Doctors also call aplastic anemia bone marrow failure. Doctors do not know exactly how many people in the United States have aplastic anemia. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), doctors diagnose approximately Researchers believe that most cases of aplastic anemia are due to the immune system attacking healthy bone marrow cells, according to Doctors have also identified some of the possible causes of this immune system response, including: • exposure to benzene, a chemical used to make plastics, synthetic fibers, dyes, detergents, and pesticides • insecticide exposure • nonviral • pesticide exposure • medications, such as • hepatitis • pregnancy • • • other infectious diseases However, doctors usually cannot pinpoint the underlying cause in When the cause is unknown, doctors refer to the condition as idiopathic aplastic anemia. Share on Pinterest A doctor may order a blood test to help them diagnose aplastic anemia....

Aplasia means an organ, tissue or body part didn’t develop normally. In some instances, aplasia means that a body part is missing. Aplasia also means that a basic structure began forming and then stopped. It’s usually apparent at birth. Types of aplasia include pure red cell aplasia, aplasia cutis congenita and germ cell aplasia, among others. Overview What is aplasia? Aplasia means that something in your body doesn’t develop or work as it should. Many forms of aplasia involve developmental issues present at or before birth. A healthcare provider may notice signs of aplasia, like missing or underdeveloped limbs, in a fetus or newborn. Aplasia may also be diagnosed in childhood or even adulthood if it involves internal tissue like bone marrow. Aplasia isn’t a single condition. Instead, it’s a medical term to describe any tissue, organ or body part that doesn’t form completely. How is aplasia different from agenesis, hypoplasia and dysplasia? Aplasia can be confusing because it’s similar to other medical terms related to developmental problems. Depending on the setting, you may hear these terms used interchangeably: • Agenesis means that a body part doesn’t form at all. In some medical discussions, aplasia means a basic, primitive organ structure exists. In contrast, agenesis means all parts of an organ are absent. • Hypoplasia means that a body part is underdeveloped. In some medical discussions, aplasia is a type of in-between development. It involves more development than...

• Overview   • • Theory   • Epidemiology • Aetiology • Case history • Diagnosis   • Approach • History and exam • Investigations • Differentials • Criteria • Management   • Approach • Treatment algorithm • Emerging • Patient discussions • Follow up   • Monitoring • Complications • Prognosis • Resources   • Guidelines • Aplastic anaemia is a form of pancytopenia, most often idiopathic. May present with sequelae of neutropenia (infections), anaemia (fatigue, pallor, dyspnoea, tachycardia), or thrombocytopenia (bleeding, bruising). Laboratory findings may include leukopenia, neutropenia, anaemia, and thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow biopsy shows hypocellular marrow without abnormal cells. Treatment includes immunosuppressive therapy and/or eltrombopag, or allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Definition Aplastic anaemia (AA) is defined by pancytopenia with hypocellular marrow and no abnormal cells. At least two of the following peripheral cytopenias must be present: haemoglobin <100 g/L (<10 g/dL), platelets <50 × 10⁹/L, absolute neutrophil count <1.5 × 10⁹/L. International Agranulocytosis and Aplastic Anemia Study Group. Incidence of aplastic anemia: the relevance of diagnostic criteria. Blood. 1987 Dec;70(6):1718-21. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3676511?tool=bestpractice.com Bone marrow should show hypocellularity without evidence of significant dysplasia, blasts, fibrosis, or other abnormal infiltrate. History and exam Other diagnostic factors • history of r...