PURE RED-CELL APLASIA - A REVIEW

Pure red-cell aplasia is an anemia characterized by a near absence of nucleated red blood cells, It can be congenital or acquired. The conge nital form is probably induced by intrauterine damage to early erythro id stem cells, The acquired form can be transient and self-limited or sustained and lifelong, Many, if not most, cases of transient pure red -cell aplasia are caused by the B19 parvovirus, which has a special af finity for erythroid progenitor cells, When complicating an underlying hemolytic anemia, the anemia may be acute and severe. Sustained aplas ia is caused by viral invasion, immune rejection or toxic destruction of progenitor or precursor cells. It occurs most often in patients wit h a benign or malignant lymphoid disease, Treatment with immunosuppres sive drugs - especially corticosteroids - will in most cases cause a t emporary or permanent remission, The final outcome depends primarily o n the underlying disorder.