pancytopenia Flashcards
what is pancytopenia?
deficiency of blood cells of all lineages
how does it present?
anaemia
neutropenia
thrombocytopenia
how will a patient with anaemia present?
fatigue
SOB
CVD compromise
how would a patient with neutropenia present?
recurrent infections
how would a patient with thrombocytopenia present?
bleeding
purpura
petechiae
epistaxis
what are the two main causes of pancytopenia?
reduced production of cells - bone marrow failure
increased destruction - hypersplenism
what is a cause of inherited pancytopenia due to reduced production?
fanconi anaemia
what are primary causes of acquired pancytopenia due to reduced production?
idiopathic aplastic anaemia
myelodysplastic syndromes
acute leukaemia (malignancy of bone marrow)
what are secondary causes of acquired pancytopenia due to reduced production?
drug-induced anaemia
vitamin deficiency (B12/folate)
infections
metastatic cancer (non-marrow malignancy)
storage disorders
what does it cause of bone marrow is hypocellular?
aplastic anaemia
what does it cause if bone marrow is hypercellular?
myelodysplastic syndromes
B12/folate deficiency
hypersplenism
what is the management?
supportive - transfusions and antibiotic prophylaxis
underlying cause
how does Fanconi’s anaemia present?
skeletal abnormalities, cafe au lait spots
develop macrocytosis -> thrombocytosis -> neutropenia
what are the 2 types of Fanconi’s?
aplasia
leukaemia
what causes idiopathic aplastic anaemia?
T-cells attack haemopoietic stem cells and/or progenitor cells
