HIV
23-04-2007, 01:04 PM
What is Aplastic Anemia?
Aplastic anemia is a rare and very serious disorder that results from the failure of the bone marrow to produce blood cells. In most cases the cause of this failure is not known. Aplastic anemia can occur at any age.
To understand aplastic anemia, you must understand the normal function of bone marrow. The central part of bone is filled with a red, spongy tissue called marrow. This marrow contains a small number of very important stem cells. These stem cells make both mature blood cells and new stem cells. These normal cells include red blood cells that carry oxygen, platelets that help to control bleeding by forming clots, and white blood cells that fight infection by attacking and destroying germs. The constant production of blood cells is needed because each cell has a limited life span after it leaves the bone marrow and enters the blood. Red cells live about 120 days, platelets about six days, and white blood cells only about four to 24 hours.
Normally, the bone marrow is an excellent factory. In aplastic anemia, normal blood cell production fails. As a result, symptoms of bleeding, infection and anemia develop. There is no common age that aplastic anemia occurs. Aplastic anemia affects males and females in equal numbers.
How is Aplastic Anemia diagnosed?
The diagnosis of aplastic anemia may be initially identified by a CBC. The diagnosis is suspected when all three cell lines (red cells, white cells and platelets) are very low. A bone marrow aspirate and biopsy may be needed to help confirm the diagnosis of aplastic anemia. Occasionally, leukemia can act like aplastic anemia. This happens when leukemia cells fill up the bone marrow.
This prevents the growth of normal bone marrow cells and can result in a decrease of all three types of blood cells in the blood. In aplastic anemia, the bone marrow shows a great reduction in the number of cells with a normal appearance of the few cells identified.
What is the cause of Aplastic Anemia?
The cause of aplastic anemia is often very hard to determine. In more than one half of the known cases of aplastic anemia, no cause is ever found. This is called idiopathic aplastic anemia. Some theories as to the cause of disease include defective stem cells, unregulated immune systems, excessive exposure to radiation or to certain chemicals, or certain infection may all lead to aplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia is a rare and very serious disorder that results from the failure of the bone marrow to produce blood cells. In most cases the cause of this failure is not known. Aplastic anemia can occur at any age.
To understand aplastic anemia, you must understand the normal function of bone marrow. The central part of bone is filled with a red, spongy tissue called marrow. This marrow contains a small number of very important stem cells. These stem cells make both mature blood cells and new stem cells. These normal cells include red blood cells that carry oxygen, platelets that help to control bleeding by forming clots, and white blood cells that fight infection by attacking and destroying germs. The constant production of blood cells is needed because each cell has a limited life span after it leaves the bone marrow and enters the blood. Red cells live about 120 days, platelets about six days, and white blood cells only about four to 24 hours.
Normally, the bone marrow is an excellent factory. In aplastic anemia, normal blood cell production fails. As a result, symptoms of bleeding, infection and anemia develop. There is no common age that aplastic anemia occurs. Aplastic anemia affects males and females in equal numbers.
How is Aplastic Anemia diagnosed?
The diagnosis of aplastic anemia may be initially identified by a CBC. The diagnosis is suspected when all three cell lines (red cells, white cells and platelets) are very low. A bone marrow aspirate and biopsy may be needed to help confirm the diagnosis of aplastic anemia. Occasionally, leukemia can act like aplastic anemia. This happens when leukemia cells fill up the bone marrow.
This prevents the growth of normal bone marrow cells and can result in a decrease of all three types of blood cells in the blood. In aplastic anemia, the bone marrow shows a great reduction in the number of cells with a normal appearance of the few cells identified.
What is the cause of Aplastic Anemia?
The cause of aplastic anemia is often very hard to determine. In more than one half of the known cases of aplastic anemia, no cause is ever found. This is called idiopathic aplastic anemia. Some theories as to the cause of disease include defective stem cells, unregulated immune systems, excessive exposure to radiation or to certain chemicals, or certain infection may all lead to aplastic anemia