Idiopathic aplastic anemia

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Bone marrow aspiration

Antibodies

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Idiopathic aplastic anemia

Alternative Names:

Anemia - idiopathic aplastic

Treatment:

Mild cases of aplastic anemia are treated with supportive care. Blood transfusions and platelet transfusions help correct the abnormal blood counts and relieve some symptoms.

Severe aplastic anemia, as evidenced by very low blood cell counts, is a life-threatening condition. Bone marrow transplant is indicated for severe disease in younger patients.

For older patients, or for those who do not have a matched bone marrow donor, antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is the alternative treatment. ATG is a horse serum that contains antibodies against human T cells and is used in an attempt to suppress the body's immune system, allowing the bone marrow to resume its blood cell generating function.

Other medications to suppress the immune system may be used, such as cyclosporine.

Expectations (prognosis):

Untreated aplastic anemia is an illness that leads to rapid death. Bone marrow transplantation has been successful in young people, with long term survival of 80%. Older people have a survival rate of 40 - 70%.

Complications:

Severe infections or bleeding may develop.

Complications of treatment may include graft failure or graft vs. host disease, and an autoimmune disease, after bone marrow transplant. Patients can have reactions to ATG.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider or go to the emergency room if bleeding occurs for no reason or if bleeding is difficult to stop. Call if you notice frequent infections or unusual fatigue.

Review Date: 11/9/2004
Reviewed By: Marcia S. Brose, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Hematology/Oncology, The University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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