Aplastic anaemia: A report of 7 cases

Abstract

Aplastic anaemia is a result of marrow failure and is characterised by peripheral pancytopenia and marrow hypoplasia. The syndrome has different aetiologies and an incidence of 2-4 cases/1 000 000 children under 5 years. The elective treatment for aplastic anaemia is allogenic bone marrow transplant or immunosuppresion with antilymphocyte/antithymocyte globulin, cyclosporine and haematopoietic growth factors in patients without a compatible donor. The experience of 7 patients attending the Roberto del Rio Hospital between 1995 and 2000 is presented. The ages ranged from 2 months to 13 years. Bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. The aetiology was considered congenital in 2, hepatitis associated in 3 and idiopathic in 2. One patient, previously treated with immunosuppresive therapy, was transplanted with a HLA-compatible sibling. 3 patients were treated with immunosuppresion, cyclosporine and granulocyte stimulating factor and 3 children were treated only with methylprednisolone and haemopoietic growth factor. 2 patients died early due to infections and 5 are alive with a median follow up of 43 months, 4 of them treated with immunosuppresion, including the transplanted patient and 1 patient with Fanconi´s anaemia.