Bicytopenia is the reduction of any of the two cell lines of blood, i.e., erythrocytes, leukocytes or platelets. Many studies are done on pancytopenia but very few studies exist in the literature evaluating the spectrum of aetiologies of bicytopenia.
What are the symptoms of pancytopenia?
Pancytopenia is a condition in which you are low in all three types of blood cells: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Signs and symptoms inculde feeling weak, tired, dizzy, fever, chills, bruising, nosebleeds, and bleeding gums. Humans have three types of blood cells: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.
What is cytopenia and what causes it?
Cytopenia occurs when one or more of your blood cell types is lower than it should be. Your blood consists of three main parts. Red blood cells, also called erythrocytes, carry oxygen and nutrients around your body. White blood cells, or leukocytes, fight infection and battle unhealthy bacteria.
What is the most common aetiology of bicytopenia?
The most common aetiology of bicytopenia was found to be non-malignant (56%) followed by infectious (31.7%), malignant (8.3%) and drug-induced (4%). Megaloblastic anaemia was the predominant aetiology among the non-malignant group, closely followed by immune thrombocytopenic purpura and alcoholic liver disease.
What is Refractory cytopenia?
Refractory cytopenia occurs when your bone marrow does not produce mature, healthy blood cells. This may be the result of a group of cancers, such as leukemia or another bone marrow condition.
Is bicytopenia curable?
Once diagnosed, many people will be able to treat cytopenia and restore healthy blood cell counts. People with anemia, for example, may be able to boost their iron intake from foods such as red meat, shellfish, and legumes.
Is bicytopenia the same as pancytopenia?
Broadly speaking, pancytopenia refers to a decrease in all three cell lines, while bicytopenia refers to decrease in any two of the three cell lines. Bicytopenia is commonly the result of two pathologies or represents a stage in a developing pancytopenia.
What are the signs of low platelets?
SymptomsEasy or excessive bruising (purpura)Superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on the lower legs.Prolonged bleeding from cuts.Bleeding from your gums or nose.Blood in urine or stools.Unusually heavy menstrual flows.Fatigue.More items...•
What is pancytopenia caused by?
Pancytopenia may be caused by certain autoimmune, bone marrow, or genetic disorders. It may also be caused by infection, poor nutrition, pregnancy, cancer treatment (such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy), or exposure to certain toxins, chemicals, or medicines.
What causes Bicytopenia?
The etiologic causes of bicytopenia included 64.2% infection, 7.1% idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, 7.1% medicine use, 3.5% megaloblastic anemia, 3.5% chronic illness anemia (celiac disease), and 14.2% acute leukemia.
Can you reverse Macrocytosis?
Macrocytosis is often reversible with treatment. Usually taking vitamin B12 or folate supplements or eating foods containing these nutrients can reverse the condition. 2 If it is caused by an underlying condition, such as leukemia, treatment of that illness may resolve macrocytosis, a much less concerning condition.
What is the most common cause of low platelet count?
One of the most common causes of low platelets is a condition called immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). You may hear it called by its old name, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Is low platelet count serious?
Complications. If left untreated, a low platelet count can be very serious because it can cause internal bleeding of the brain or the intestines. In the worst cases, this may even cause death. That is why it is essential to seek medical care if you think you might be at risk.
How do you fix low platelets?
If your platelet level becomes too low, your doctor can replace lost blood with transfusions of packed red blood cells or platelets. Medications. If your condition is related to an immune system problem, your doctor might prescribe drugs to boost your platelet count. The first-choice drug might be a corticosteroid.
Is pancytopenia serious?
Pancytopenia is serious and should not be ignored. Without treatment, it can lead to life-threatening symptoms that affect the entire body such as oxygen shortage and immune system problems.
Who is at risk for pancytopenia?
A family history of pancytopenia, cancer, or immunodeficiencies may also increase the risk of developing this issue. A 2021 article states that pancytopenia is more common in children and adults in their 30s or 40s. It is also more common in males than females.
Can pancytopenia go away?
The prognosis of pancytopenia depends largely upon its cause. Thankfully, we now have treatments such as transfusions and stimulating factors to help with the specific blood cell deficiencies while the underlying condition is evaluated and treated.
Are neutropenia and pancytopenia the same thing?
Pancytopenia is a simultaneous deficiency of three blood cell lineages: red blood cells, platelets, and neutrophils. Its clinical significance is the triple impact of anemia (decreased tissue oxygen supply), thrombocytopenia (bleeding), and neutropenia (susceptibility to infection).
What is the difference between pancytopenia and thrombocytopenia?
Pancytopenia occurs when you have a combination of three different blood disorders: Anemia is when you have too few red blood cells. Leukopenia is when you have too few white blood cells. Thrombocytopenia is when you have too few platelets.
Is myelosuppression the same as bone marrow suppression?
Myelosuppression, also known as bone marrow suppression, is a decrease in bone marrow activity that results in reduced production of blood cells. Some blood cell disorders include: fewer red blood cells (anemia)
What is the difference between aplastic anemia and pancytopenia?
Aplastic anemia is defined as pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow in the absence of an abnormal infiltrate and with no increase in reticulin. Dr. Paul Ehrlich, who treated a young woman who died following an illness characterized by bleeding, severe anemia, and high fevers, first described the term in 1888.
How old is bicytopenia?
Bicytopenia was observed in all ages with the mean age being 30.7 years. The occurrence of bicytopenia in different age groups was 6% in neonates, 7% in infants, 25% in children, 17% in teenagers, 85% in adults and 11% in elderly.
What is the most common aetiology of bicytopenia?
The most common aetiology of bicytopenia was found to be non-malignant (56%) followed by infectious (31.7%), malignant (8.3%) and drug-induced (4%). Megaloblastic anaemia was the predominant aetiology among the non-malignant group, closely followed by immune thrombocytopenic purpura and alcoholic liver disease.
What is the reduction of any of the two cell lines of blood?
Bicytopenia is the reduction of any of the two cell lines of blood, i.e., erythrocytes, leukocytes or platelets. Many studies are done on pancytopenia but very few studies exist in the literature evaluating the spectrum of aetiologies of bicytopenia.
What is Cytopenia?
Cytopenia is a collection of pathological conditions which is usually found in patients with cancer. This condition is characterized by abnormally low cellular elements of blood as a result of a myriad of physical disorders. These cells stop to grow normally in patients with Cytopenia. Cytopenia ranges from a variety of blood disorders which could be seriously damaging the overall health of the patient and can potentially be fatal without a timely diagnosis.
What are the Symptoms of Cytopenia?
The symptoms of Cytopenia have been subdivided into the symptoms of each of the condition that constitute Cytopenia. These symptoms are:
How is Cytopenia Treated?
For treating Cytopenia it is extremely important to know the cause of the condition and the severity of it. If anemia is the cause for the condition then the patient will be asked to take foods rich in iron content to increase iron in the body like meat, fish and the like. The following methods are used to treat people with Cytopenia:
What is the best treatment for cytopenia?
Medical Approach for Treating Cytopenia: In order to restore the production of RBCs in the body a synthetic erythropoietin named epoetin alpha is recommended. Steroids are used for treating autoimmune thrombocytopenia. In severe cases of Cytopenia IVIG is used.
What causes cytopenia in the bone marrow?
Another disease condition like myelodysplastic disorder is also a causative factor in development of Cytopenia. Viral Infections: Infections like HIV, hepatitis C, varicella, rubella, mumps are some of the infections that affect the bone marrow and hence affect the production of blood cells resulting in Cytopenia.
Why do you need blood transfusion for cytopenia?
Blood Transfusion: This is done so that the RBC count increases and the symptoms of Cytopenia become less. This is usually done for those patients who have abnormally low levels of RBCs.
What does CBC show in blood?
CBC: This will tell the exact count of the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the blood and if there is any reduction then it may indicate towards Cytopenia.
What is cytopenia in the body?
Your body has three types of blood cells: white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC) and platelets. Cytopenia occurs when there is reduced production of any of those three types of cells.
What is cytopenia in medical terms?
Cytopenia is a term that you may have seen linked to a number of health issues. You may have read about it in articles discussing cancer, or perhaps you saw the word pop up in a piece about anemia.
What Are the Types of Cytopenia?
There are several different types of cytopenia, and each comes with its own set of issues that can cause you much discomfort.
Why is knowing the cause of cytopenia important?
Knowing the causes of cytopenia may help you avoid or identify the source of your health problems, but it is also helpful to know the symptoms.
Why does anemia occur?
Caused by a low red blood cell count, anemia develops when reduced amounts of oxygen are being carried to the various organs that need it.
What test is used to diagnose cytopenia?
1. Complete Blood Count (CBC) This test counts the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your bloodstream. If there is a reduced number of any of these, it not only helps the doctors diagnose cytopenia, but it also tells them what type you may have. 2.
What is the best treatment for cytopenia?
In terms of general cytopenia, there are some medical treatments that may help you out. Epoetin alpha, for example, may be recommended as might steroids . Doctors may suggest vitamins and up the iron content in your diet in order to combat the condition.
What is pancytopenia?
Pancytopenia is a condition in which you are low in all three types of blood cells: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Signs and symptoms inculde feeling weak, tired, dizzy, fever, chills, bruising, nosebleeds, and bleeding gums.
What are the different types of cytopenia?
Pancytopenia is a combination of three cytopenias, or conditions of reduced blood cell counts: 1 Anemia is a low count of red blood cells. 2 Leukopenia is a low count of white blood cells. 3 Thrombocytopenia is a lack of platelets.
What is the difference between anemia and leukopenia?
Anemia is a low count of red blood cells. Leukopenia is a low count of white blood cells. Thrombocytopenia is a lack of platelets. Normal blood cell counts can vary somewhat according to gender, age, and other conditions.
Why is pancytopenia delayed?
Sometimes doctors delay treatment because it could interfere with finding a diagnosis. Ideally, treatment of pancytopenia consists of treating the underlying cause, but sometimes doctors must address the low blood cell counts too.
What are the symptoms of pancytopenia?
Pancytopenia symptoms include pale skin, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Pancytopenia may indicate a problem in the bone marrow, which produces blood cells. Pancytopenia is a combination of three cytopenias, or conditions of reduced blood cell counts: Anemia is a low count of red blood cells. Leukopenia is a low count of white blood cells.
How do you know if you have pancytopenia?
Persons with pancytopenia may report symptoms associated with anemia. You may feel tired, weak, dizzy, or short of breath. You may also experience palpitations or a rapid heartbeat with exertion. Older individuals or those with heart problems may report chest pain or angina. Persons with anemia are sometimes pale, which doctors can observe by looking at the skin, nail bed, and inside the eyelid.
What are the symptoms of low platelets?
The first symptom of low platelets is often easy bruising. As platelet levels drop, other symptoms may appear, such as nosebleeds and bleeding gums. You may also notice tiny spots on the skin called petechiae, which are usually red, brown, or purple in color.
Why is pancytopenia a risk factor?
Pancytopenia causes and risk factors. Pancytopenia starts because of a problem with your bone marrow. This spongy tissue inside bones is where blood cells are produced. Diseases and exposure to certain drugs and chemicals can lead to this bone marrow damage.
What tests can be done to check for pancytopenia?
Your doctor might also do separate tests to look for the cause of pancytopenia. These tests can include blood tests to check for infections or leukemia. You might also need a CT scan or other imaging test to look for cancer or other problems with your organs.
What is it called when you have too few red blood cells?
Pancytopenia is a condition in which a person’s body has too few red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Each of these blood cell types has a different job in the body:
How long does it take for pancytopenia to get better?
If a drug or chemical caused pancytopenia, it should get better within a week after you stop the exposure. Some conditions, like cancer, will take longer to treat.
What cancers affect bone marrow?
cancers that affect the bone marrow, such as: leukemia. multiple myeloma. Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. myelodysplastic syndromes. megaloblastic anemia, a condition in which your body produces larger-than-normal, immature red blood cells and you have a low red blood cell count.
What are the purple spots on your skin called?
bleeding. tiny purple spots on your skin, called petechiae. larger purple spots on your skin, called purpura. bleeding gums and nosebleeds. fast heart rate. If you or someone close to you has any of the following serious symptoms and pancytopenia, get medical care right away: fever over 101˚F (38.3˚C) seizures.
Is pancytopenia preventable?
Prevention of pancytopenia. Some causes of pancytopenia, like cancer or inherited bone marrow diseases, aren’t preventable. You may be able to prevent certain types of infection with good hygiene practices and by avoiding contact with anyone who is sick.
What is a pancytopenia?
Pancytopenia is a hematologic condition characterized by a decrease in all three peripheral blood cell lines. It is characterized by the hemoglobin of less than 11.5 g/dL in women and 13.5 g/dL in men, platelets of less than 150,000 per mcL, and leukocytes of less than 4000 per ml (or absolute neutrophil count of less than 1500-1800 per ml).[1][2]
What is the etiology of pancytopenia?
The etiology of pancytopenia can be broadly categorized as a central type that involves disorders of production or a peripheral type that involves disorders of increased destruction .[4] These causes could contribute to the pancytopenia independently or as a combination.
What is the term for a decrease of all three hematologic cell lines?
Pancytopenia is defined as a decrease of all three hematologic cell lines. The condition is not a disease in itself, but a common pathway caused by a multitude of different etiologies that can be infectious, autoimmune genetic, nutritional, and/or malignant. Determining the cause of pancytopenia is a challenge and is key in determining the proper treatment regimen and estimating prognosis. This activity reviews the most common etiologies of pancytopenia, outlines potential pathways in determining the underlying diagnosis, and highlights the interprofessional team's importance in evaluating and treating these patients.
What is the pathophysiology of aplastic anemia?
The pathophysiology of aplastic anemia is an autoimmune-mediated T cell activation, which leads to the destruction of the hematopoietic stem cells. Bone marrow suppression is also caused by direct cytotoxic effects of medications such as methotrexate, anticonvulsants, and chemotherapeutic agents. Ineffective hematopoiesis is seen in the bone marrow of myelodysplastic syndrome.
What is the term for increased destruction of cells?
Increased destruction (peripheral type ): Peripheral destruction of cells can be associated with many autoimmune conditions (such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis) and splenic sequestration (alcoholic liver cirrhosis, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria). Hypersplenism affects more frequently the platelets and erythrocytes than leukocytes.
Can pancytopenia be resolved?
In pancytopenia cases secondary to an acute viral infection, no further workup should be performed as most resolved rapidly. Follow-up laboratories can be performed to confirm the resolution of the pancytopenia. Similarly, in severe infections with sepsis, further workup should not be performed as the pancytopenia is most likely the sepsis result. The termination of the infection and sepsis will correct the pancytopenia.
Is leukopenia a disease?
Leukopenia is primarily seen as neutropenia since neutrophils constitute the majority of the leukocytes. Pancytopenia is not a disease, but a manifestation of other underlying conditions.[3] It is associated with multiple benign and malignant conditions.[1] Pancytopenia could be a result of decreased production of the cells or increased destruction. Anyone presenting with pancytopenia should undergo a thorough evaluation to identify the underlying etiology.
What is pancytopenia?
Pancytopenia is low levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all the organs and tissues of your body. White blood cells help your body fight infection by attacking and killing germs. Platelets stop the bleeding when you are cut or injured. Pancytopenia increases your risk for infection and bleeding. Without treatment these problems can become life-threatening.
What are the symptoms of pancytopenia?
What are the signs and symptoms of pancytopenia? Feeling tired, weak, dizzy, or short of breath. Frequent fevers or infections. Pale skin or purple or red dots on the skin. Bleeding from the gums or nose, blood in bowel movements or urine, or heavy bleeding from a cut.
How is pancytopenia diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will examine you. Tell the provider about any symptoms you have. You may need any of the following:
Does blood transfusion help with pancytopenia?
A blood transfusion can help increase red blood cell, white blood cell, and platelet levels. This may prevent bleeding or organ damage. This does not treat pancytopenia. Instead, a blood transfusion may keep you safe until the cause of pancytopenia is known.
What is a pancytopenia?
Pancytopenia is a medical condition in which there is a reduction in the number of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets .
What is the mechanism of pancytopenia?
For example, in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) there is marked inappropriate and ineffective T cell activation that leads to an increased hemophagocytic activity. The T cell activated macrophages engulf erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, as well as their progenitor cells. Along with pancytopenia, HLH is characterized by fever, splenomegaly, and hemophagocytosis in bone marrow, liver, or lymph nodes.
What is the term for a reduction in the number of red and white blood cells?
Hematology. Pancytopenia is a medical condition in which there is a reduction in the number of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets . If only two parameters from the complete blood count are low, the term bicytopenia can be used.
Why do you need a bone marrow biopsy for pancytopenia?
Pancytopenia usually requires a bone marrow biopsy in order to distinguish among different causes.
Can chloramphenicol cause pancytopenia?
For example, the antibiotic chloramphenicol can cause pancytopenia in some individuals. Rarely, pancytopenia may have other causes, such as mononucleosis or other viral diseases. Increasingly, HIV is itself a cause of pancytopenia. Familial hemophagocytic syndrome.
Can a drug cause pancytopenia?
Iatrogenic causes of pancytopenia include chemo therapy for malignancies if the drug or drugs used cause bone marrow suppression. Rarely, drugs ( antibiotics, blood pressure medication, heart medication) can cause pancytopenia. For example, the antibiotic chloramphenicol can cause pancytopenia in some individuals.
