Hematology Clinical Resource Area: Aplastic Anemia Overview

Aplastic Anemia is a clinical syndrome related to failure within bone marrow. This syndrome is most prevalent in the young adult population. The bone marrow production of cells shows a gross reduction in numbers.

The individual is provided supportive therapies. These therapies may include transfusion of blood products, colony stimulating factors up to and including stem cell transplant. The young patient and early adults may be candidates for immunotherapy's. This will be followed by stem cell transplant if indicated. Middle and later adults are best served with use of supportive symptom management. Each case requires individualized health, physical assessment and treatment planning.

Diagnosis: Most Aplastic anemia patients will present with symptoms related to bleeding. During health assessment the practitioner may find patient to have experienced multiple unexplained infectious events. In addition the patient usually reports a change to pattern of bleeding such as bruises, petechiae, excessive bleeding with minimal trauma, slow wound healing, CBC will reveal thrombocytopenia, anemia and/or neutropenia. Bone marrow biopsy may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

Disease Overview: Patient will present with low erythrocytes, reticulocytes, leukocytes and platelets. Serum iron is often elevated. Disease progression is indicated by further depression of presenting marrow suppression. Patient history should include assessment of infections. This assessment should include not only site of infection but also infectious agent if known. Patients with known Hepatitis account for approximately 5-10% of aplastic anemia diagnosis worldwide. Many pharmacologic agents can contribute to disease development. Acquired aplastic anemia has been associated with an auto-immune component.

Aplastice Anemia & MDS International Foundation, Inc. (AA&MDSIF)
The AA&MDSIF serves as a resource for patient assistance, advocacy, and support by providing educational materials and medical information, as well as funding medical research to find treatments and cures for aplastic anemia (AA), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and related bone marrow diseases.

National Heart and Blood Institute's Diseases and Conditions Index (DCI)
Provides a quick and easy way to get complete and dependable information about heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders including aplastic anemia.