Aplastic Anemia

Aplastic Anemia

Aplastic anemia is a disease of the bone marrow— the organ that produces the body's blood cells. Approximately
two thousand people in the U.S. are diagnosed each year with aplastic anemia. The symptoms of aplastic anemia are
fatigue, bruising, infections, and weakness. Although these symptoms are much like those associated with leukemia,
aplastic anemia is not a form of cancer.
In patients with aplastic anemia the bone marrow stops producing, or produces too few red blood cells, white blood
cells, and platelets. Without sufficient red blood cells, oxygen cannot reach organs and tissues throughout the body.
A decrease in the number of white blood cells causes the body's ability to fight infection as well as it should.
Platelets are needed to help blood clot (Bone).
Although the exact cause of aplastic anemia is not known, most evidence points to a combination of factors. The
first factor is damaged stem cells. These are the primitive cells in the bone marrow that produce blood cells. Another
factor is damage to the bone marrow environment in which blood cells develop (Aplastic). Other factors include
abnormalities in the proteins that regulate blood cell production and a malfunctioning immune system that interferes
with the normal blood cell production (Bone).
Certain environmental factors have been associated with the development of aplastic anemia. Chemotherapy drugs
such as busulfan or antibiotics such as chloraphenicol can cause temporary or ...

Aplastic Anemia

Login

Join