Changes in the mass of red blood cells give rise to two different circumstances (Price & Wilson, 1994). If the number of red blood cells is reduced, then arises a situation that we are familiar with anemia. Conversely, if the number of red blood cell mass is too much, then it will happen polycythemia. Here will be described a bit about anemia, especially aplastic anemia.
Aplastic anemia (hypoplastic) is defined as pancytopenia caused by bone marrow aplasia (hoffbbrand et al, 2005)
Another definition states that aplastic anemia is a disorder in stem cells in the bone marrow that can lead to death (Price & Wilson, 1994).
Causes of Pancytopenia
The cause of aplastic anemia is diverse, mostly acquired idiopathic (no known cause). But lately has been known to cause aplastic anemia others, such as; beam radiation, chemotherapy, drugs and certain chemical compounds (benzene). Another cause is pregnancy, viral hepatitis, and eosinophilic fasciitis (widjanarko et al, 2004).
The other references mentioned that the cause of aplastic anemia is divided into 2 primary causes and secondary causes (Price & Wilson, 1994). Primary Causes include congenital (fanconi and non fanconi) and idiopathic acquired, while secondary causes consist of ionizing radiation due to accidental exposure (radiotherapy, radioactive isotopes, nuclear power stations), chemicals (like benzene and other organic solvents, TNT , insecticides, hair dyes, klordan, DDT), drugs (busulfan, cyclophosphamide, anthracyclines, nitrosourea), and infections (viral hepatitis). Antineoplastic or cytotoxic agents can also cause aplastic anemia (Price & Wilson, 1994).
In patients with aplastic anemia is usually accompanied by pancytopenia. Causes of pancytopenia itself is reduced bone marrow function, aplasia, acute leukemia, myelodysplasia, myeloma, infiltration by lymphoma cells, solid tumors, tuberculosis, anemia megaloblastic, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), myelofibrosis (rare), hemophagocytic syndrome, increased peripheral destruction, and splenomegaly.
Symptoms of Pancytopenia
Aplastic anemia symptom complex associated with pancytopenia (Hoffbrand et al, 2005). At the symptoms of anemia was found pale, tachycardia, heart murmur, fatigue, dizziness, etc. Sometimes accompanied by a deficiency of platelets and white blood cells. Platelet deficiency can result in ecchymosis and petechiae, epistaxis, gastrointestinal bleeding, urinary tract bleeding, bleeding the central nervous system. While a deficiency of white blood cells makes the body susceptible to infection.