Aplastic Anaemia - Causes, Symptoms & Treatments | SingHealth
Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Menu

Aplastic Anaemia

Aplastic Anaemia - What it is

What is aplastic anaemia?

Aplastic anaemia is a rare and potentially very serious condition that is the consequence of a reduction in the blood forming cells in the bone marrow. People with aplastic anaemia have low haemoglobin (anaemia), low white blood cells (immune system cells which fight infection) and low platelets (small cells which stop bruising & bleeding). 

comparison of the blood between someone with normal condition and someone with aplastic anaemia

Aplastic Anaemia - Symptoms

What are the symptoms of aplastic anaemia?

People with aplastic anaemia may look pale, feel more tired than usual and get breathless easily. As their white blood cells are low, they will be prone to severe infections and a low platelet count will increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

Aplastic Anaemia - How to prevent?

How is aplastic anaemia prevented?

There is no effective prevention for most cases of aplastic anaemia.

Some chemicals and toxins, such as herbicides and organic solvents, can predispose certain individuals to developing aplastic anaemia. Reducing exposure to these substances may help lower this risk. When exposure to such chemical cannot be avoided, safe handling practices should be employed. 

Aplastic Anaemia - Causes and Risk Factors

What causes aplastic anaemia? 

Most aplastic anaemia cases are due to suppression of the bone marrow by the immune system. 

A small minority of cases may be due to genetic predisposition or medications and toxins.

Aplastic Anaemia - Diagnosis

How is aplastic anaemia diagnosed?

​A diagnosis of aplastic anaemia may be suspected from the history, physical examination and routine blood tests. A bone marrow biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis of aplastic anaemia and further investigations are usually carried out to try to determine a cause. 

bone marrow of someone with aplastic anaemia

Aplastic Anaemia - Treatments

How is aplastic anaemia treated?

Patients with mild aplastic anaemia and have no symptoms will be managed with close observation.

A person with more severe aplastic anaemia may require regular transfusions of red blood cells and platelets, and may need to take medications to reduce the risk of infection. Some patients may receive treatment with drugs called androgens to try to stimulate their bone marrow, whilst others may require treatment with medications to suppress the immune system (e.g. ciclosporin, anti-thymocyte globulin) and specific drugs to stimulate blood cell production (e.g. eltrombopag).

In certain circumstances where the aplastic anaemia is severe and there is a full-matched donor, a haemopoietic stem cell transplant may be recommended. 

Regardless of the treatment, most patients with aplastic anaemia will be followed-up lifelong in our Specialist Clinic to monitor for relapses and treat long term complications of the condition.


Aplastic Anaemia - Preparing for surgery

Aplastic Anaemia - Post-surgery care

Aplastic Anaemia - Other Information

References

  1. The aplastic anaemia trust. The Aplastic Anaemia Trust. (n.d.). https://www.theaat.org.uk/
  2. Aplastic anaemia. Leukaemia Foundation. (2024, May 22). https://www.leukaemia.org.au/blood-cancer/types-of-blood-cancer/aplastic-anaemia/
  3. Moore, C. A. (2023, July 17). Aplastic anemia. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534212/
  4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Aplastic anemia. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/anemia/aplastic-anemia
  5. Ashraf, S., Rashid, A., Mughal, Z., Babar, H., Sheikh, H., & Naveed, M. A. (2022). Spectrum of aplastic anaemia; presentation, etiology and overall survival:  aspectrum of aplastic anaemia: Presentation, etiology and overall survival-A tertiary care hospital experience tertiary care hospital experience. Pakistan BioMedical Journal, 330–334. https://doi.org/10.54393/pbmj.v5i5.437 
The information provided is not intended as medical advice. Terms of use. Information provided by SingHealth

TOP
Discover articles,videos, and guides afrom Singhealth's resources across the web. These information are collated, making healthy living much easier for everyone.