CONCURRENT PRESENTATION OF ERYTHROCYTIC AND MEGAKARYOCYTIC APLASIA

A case of a patient presenting with idiopathic concurrent erythrocytic and megakaryocytic aplasia is reported, The patient's response to imm unosuppressive therapy and her bone marrow pathology clearly suggest a n immune mechanism, Based on the lack of suppression of erythroid colo ny growth, several mechanisms are postulated, Well-established molecul ar and genetic evidence, along with clinical observations, suggests th at a relationship exists between the erythrocytic and megakaryocytic c ell lines, This may be related to a common bipotential stem cell or co mmon cell surface markers. This case provides strong clinical evidence to support this relationship. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.