Aplastic anemia
Background
- absence or decrease number of hematopoietic precursor cells --> pancytopenia (anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia)
- causes
- drug-induced (chloramphenicol, carbamazepine, valproic acid, phenytoin)
- viral infection (parvovirus B19, HIV, hepatitis), especially in patients w/ sickle cell disease or immunocompromise
- autoimmune
- congenital (Fanconi anemia)
Clinical Features
- anemia
- weakness, fatigue, dyspnea
- thrombocytopenia
- mucosal bleeding, petechiae
- neutropenia
- recurrent infections, fever