Causes And Risk Factors Of Pancytopenia

Pancytopenia is a condition that happens when all the blood cells are low. This includes the red blood cells (anemia), white blood cells (leukopenia), and platelets (thrombocytopenia). The symptoms of this disorder are general, which include fatigue, infections, and bruising, and can be caused by a number of different illnesses. Blood cells come from the bone marrow and develop into different kinds of blood cells, becoming more specialized to be used for different reasons in the body. There are many causes and risk factors of pancytopenia. It is important for patients to get their blood tested if they suspect this condition. A complete blood count will tell the doctors how many of each kind of blood cells a patient currently has in their body.

Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is a rare condition that results in the red blood cells breaking apart. It is highly present in patients with pancytopenia, where all the blood cells are depleted or compromised. The classic sign of this disorder is urine with a red discoloration, usually most noticeable in the morning when concentration is highest. The red color is caused by the breakdown of the red blood cells.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is characterized, in part, by pancytopenia. It is the destructive force behind the low red blood cell count. Fortunately, there are treatments to combat this disease and help patients with their overall battle of pancytopenia. Individuals with this disorder will suffer from fatigue, shortness of breath, anemia, and red urine. If the condition is not treated, the patient will only survive about ten years.

Aplastic Anemia

A patient with aplastic anemia will also have pancytopenia. This is characterized as a decrease in all the blood components. Because the bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells are damaged, the resulting red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are not properly formed and cannot create mature blood cells. Low red blood cell counts lead to anemia and low platelet counts lead to increased bleeding and bruising.

A low white blood cell count leads to an increase in infections. Some medications can be used, but a bone marrow transplant is really the only way to combat the disease. Curing the aplastic anemia will most likely result in the red blood cells being formed properly and could mean the individual does not have pancytopenia any longer. Mild cases of the disease can resolve themselves.