Aplastic Anemia: Causes, Clinical Clues, and Treatment

Aplastic Anemia: Causes, Clinical Clues, and Treatment

Question. Write notes on aplastic anemia.

Answer. It is a rare disorder characterized by the peripheral blood pancytopenia (anemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia) associated with bone marrow suppression.

Etiology

“Common challenges in diagnosing aplastic anemia effectively: FAQs provided”

• Drug and chemicals: Common drugs which can cause aplastic anemia are benzene derivatives, chloramphenicol,penicillin, sulfonamides and anticancer drugs.
• Infections: Patients with bacterial disease such as tuberculosis and viral infections like hepatitis and infection mononucleosis can cause pancytopenia.
• Radiation: Long­term exposure to continuous radiation has lead to development of aplastic anemia.
• Other causes: Pregnancy and thymoma can cause aplastic anemia.

“Understanding the role of aplastic anemia in blood disorders: Q&A explained”

Clinical Features

• It is more common in young adults and elderly individuals.
• Marked pallor of skin and petechiae.
• Numbness and tingling of extremities.
• Generalized edema of body (anasarca).
• Fever and infections occur due to neutropenia.
• Spontaneous gingival bleeding and epistaxis.
• Multiple areas of ulceration in oral mucosa.

“Importance of studying aplastic anemia for better diagnostic outcomes: Questions explained”

Treatment

Blood transfusion, splenectomy and bone marrow transplant.