Skip to main content

Anemia - secondary aplastic


Anemia - secondary aplastic

  ( Acquired aplastic anemia )

Definition   - Causes, incidence, and risk factors - Symptoms - Signs and tests - Treatment  - Expectations (prognosis)  - Complications -  Calling your health care provider - Prevention . 



 
Definition    

 
Secondary aplastic anemia is a failure of the bone marrow to form enough blood cells. All blood cell types are affected.


Causes, incidence, and risk factors    
 
Secondary aplastic anemia results from injury to stem cells. Normal stem cells divide and differentiate into all blood cell types. Thus, when stem cells are injured, there is a reduction in red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
This condition can be caused by chemotherapy, drug therapy to suppress the immune system, radiation therapy, toxins such as benzene or arsenic, drugs, pregnancy, and congenital disorders. When the cause is unknown, it is then referred to as idiopathic aplastic anemia.
The disease may be acute or chronic and is usually gets worse unless the cause is removed.


Symptoms    
 
  • A low red blood cell count (anemia) leads to fatigue and weakness.
  • A low white blood cell count (leukopenia) leads to frequent or severe infections.
  • A low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) may result in easy bruising, nose bleeds, bleeding of the gums, and bleeding of internal organs.
  • Other symptoms include shortness of breath on exertion, rapid heart rate, and rash. 

Signs and tests    
  • A complete blood count (CBC) shows low hematocrit and hemoglobin levels (anemia).
  • The reticulocyte count is low.
  • The platelet count is low.
  • The white blood cell count is low.
  • A bone marrow biopsy shows very few cells.
Treatment  
  
In secondary aplastic anemia, removal of the causative agent is critical, and in some cases can lead to recovery.
Mild cases of aplastic anemia may be treated with supportive care or may require no treatment. Blood transfusions and platelet transfusions will help correct the abnormal blood counts and relieve some symptoms, in moderate cases.
Severe aplastic anemia, which shows up as a very low blood-cell count, is a life-threatening condition. A bone marrow transplant is indicated for younger patients with a severe case of the disease. 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. It 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 and Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide). Corticosteroids and androgens have also been used.

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

Complications    
  • Infection
  • Cerebral hemorrhage
  • Death caused by bleeding, infectious complications of bone marrow transplant, rejection of bone marrow graft, or severe reaction to antithymocyte globulin (ATG) 

Calling your health care provider    
 
Call your health care provider if bleeding occurs for no reason.

Prevention 
  
Secondary aplastic anemia may be an unavoidable consequence of treatments such as chemotherapy. Avoid toxins such as benzene and arsenic if possible.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MICROSCOPIC URINALYSIS

MICROSCOPIC URINALYSIS   Methodology A sample of well-mixed   urine (usually 10-15 ml) is centrifuged in a test tube at relatively low speed (about 2-3,000 rpm) for 5-10 minutes until a moderately cohesive button is produced at the bottom of the tube. The supernatant is decanted and a volume of 0.2 to 0.5 ml is left inside the tube. The sediment is resuspended in the remaining supernatant by flicking the bottom of the tube several times. A drop of resuspended sediment is poured onto a glass slide and coverslipped.
1 comment
Read more

Liver Enzymes

Liver Enzymes   Definition A liver enzyme is a protein that helps to speed up a chemical reaction in the   liver. Liver function tests are blood tests that are used to evaluate various functions of the liver - for example, metabolism, storage, filtration and excretion, which are often performed by liver enzymes. However, not all liver function tests are measures of enzyme function. • ALT - (alanine aminotransferase )   - was previously called SGPT is more specific for liver damage. The ALT is an enzyme that is produced in the liver cells (hepatocytes) therefore it is more specific for liver disease than some of the other enzymes. It is generally increased in situations where there is damage to the liver cell membranes. All types of liver inflammation can cause raised ALT.    • AST - (aspartate aminotransferase) which was previously called SGOT. This is a mitochondrial enzyme that is also present in heart, muscle, kidney and brain ...
3 comments
Read more

Gamma globulins

Gamma globulins   Increased in immunoglobulins are often referred to as hyper gammaglobulinemia or gammopathies  Hypogammaglobulinemia This most often results from  decreased synthesis , but could also be associated with increased loss .  1 - Decreased synthesis ( High A : G ratio )  a- failure of passive transfer or colostrum deprivation  b - Combined immunodeficiency disease ( Both T & B cells are deficient )  c - Agammaglobulinemia  d - Acquired deficiency associated with inflammation , immunosuppressive drugs or neoplasia 
Post a Comment
Read more