PANCYTOPENIA IN CHILDREN WITH BRUCELLOSIS - CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND BONE-MARROW FINDINGS

Among 276 paediatric cases of brucellosis seen over a 7-year period, 1 6 patients (5.8%) with pancytopenia were identified. The most frequent presentations were fever, malaise, anorexia, weight loss, arthralgia, and hepatosplenomegaly. Fourteen patients (87.5%) had positive blood and/or bone marrow cultures for Brucella melitensis. Bone marrow aspir ation specimens showed hypercellularity in 14 patients and normocellul arity in 2. Histiocytes, eosinophils and plasma cells were increased i n every marrow aspirate, and haemophagocytosis was observed in 14 pati ents (87.5%). Non-caseating granulomas were present in the bone marrow biopsy of 11 patients (68.8%). The pancytopenia was transient, and re solved on treatment of the Brucella infection.