User:Mr. Ibrahem/Aplastic anemia
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aplastic anemia is a long term condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce blood cells in sufficient numbers.[3] Most people have low levels of all blood cell types: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.[6] Symptoms can include weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, infections, and bleeding.[3]
Mr. Ibrahem/Aplastic anemia | |
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Other names | Aplastic anaemia, bone marrow failure[1] |
Micrograph of bone marrow taken from a person with aplastic anemia. The bone marrow is mostly fat cells with few blood forming cells.[2] | |
Specialty | Oncology, hematology |
Symptoms | Weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, infections, bleeding[3] |
Duration | Long term[3] |
Causes | Unknown, following a viral infections, Fanconi anemia, exposure to chemicals, medications or radiation[3][4] |
Diagnostic method | Based on blood tests and bone marrow biopsy[5] |
Differential diagnosis | Myelodysplastic syndrome, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, pure red cell aplasia[6][3] |
Treatment | Stem cell transplantation, eltrombopag, ciclosporin, anti-thymocyte globulin, corticosteroids, blood transfusions[4][7] |
Prognosis | Variable[3] |
Frequency | 0.6 to 6 per million per year[3] |
The cause is unclear in 65% of cases.[3] Other cases may occur following a viral infections, due to a genetic conditions such as Fanconi anemia, or exposure to chemicals, medications or radiation.[3][4] The diagnosis may be suspected based on low blood cells together with low reticulocytes and the absence of changes concerning for blood cancer.[3] The diagnosis is confirmed by a bone marrow biopsy finding mostly fat cells instead of blood forming cells.[5]
Treatment may be directed at the underlying cause.[3] The preferred treatment is often a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.[4] Otherwise options may include eltrombopag and immunosuppressive medicationss such as ciclosporin, anti-thymocyte globulin, and corticosteroids.[4][7] Blood transfusions may be required but may make later stem cell transplantation more difficult.[4][7]
Aplastic anemia affected about 0.6 to 6 people per million per year.[3] Males and females are affected equally frequently.[3] The condition is slightly more common in childhood and people in their early 20s.[3] Outcomes are variable and depend on a persons age and response to treatment.[3] The condition was first described in 1885.[6] The disease was the cause of death of Marie Curie.[8]