Disease Information for Anemia, aplastic: Definition

A form of anemia in which the bone marrow fails to produce adequate numbers of peripheral blood elements;-------------------------Acquired Aplastic Anemia

Idiopathic Aplastic Anemia; Acquired aplastic anemia is a rare disorder caused by profound, almost complete bone marrow failure; Bone marrow is the spongy substance found in the center of the long bones of the body; The bone marrow produces specialized cells (hematopoietic stem cells) that grow and eventually develop into red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and platelets; In acquired aplastic anemia, an almost complete absence of hematopoietic stem cells eventually results in low levels of red and white blood cells and platelets (pancytopenia); Specific symptoms associated with acquired aplastic anemia may vary, but include fatigue, chronic infections, dizziness, weakness, headaches, and episodes of excessive bleeding; Although some cases of acquired aplastic anemia occur secondary to other disorders, researchers now believe that most cases result from a disorder of the patient’s immune system, in which the immune system mistakenly targets the bone marrow (autoimmunity); This is based on the response of approximately half of patients to immunotherapy, whether it is ATG, cyclosporine, high-dose steroids or cyclophosphamide-------------[NORD 2005]-------------

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