Bone marrow failure: causes and complications

Aplastic anaemia (AA), a rare but serious form of bone marrow failure (BMF), is characterized by pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow. The pathophysiology of acquired AA is predominantly immunologically mediated, with damage to haemopoietic stem cells by autoreactive T lymphocytes. The aberrant immune response can be triggered by environmental triggers, such as drugs, toxins, chemicals and viral infections, especially after seronegative hepatitis. A careful medical and family history, physical examination and investigations are required to rule out rarer inherited causes of BMFs, as well as other acquired diseases, such as hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome, with a similar phenotype.
Source: Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: MARROW DISORDERS Source Type: research