Acquired idiopathic aplastic anemia: Study of 20 cases and review of literature

Abstract

Aplastic anemia is pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow having cellularity<25%, usually cellularity is<10% .In most cases, acquired aplastic anaemia behave as a T- lymphocyte mediated immune disease, Only those cases of pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow (Aplastic anaemia) were selected for study that was seronegative for HBSAG, ANTIHCV and HIV and chromosomal breakage study was also negative for Fanconi Anemia. Male female ratio was 1:1. In our study, 90% cases had bone marrow cellularity<10%, either came in severe or very severe category. 85% patients had ANC<500/L, 20% had ANC<200L and 30% presented with platelet count <10,000/L .Thus usual presentation was pancytopenia with severe to very severe aplastic anemia having hemoglobin <6gm/dl, platelets <20,000/L and absolute neutrophil count <500/L. The patients presenting with pancytopenia, must be evaluated by peripheral blood smear and bone marrow studies. Bone marrow trephine biopsy is diagnostic. The immunosuppressive to Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is potentially curative modality of treatment