Pancytopenia is a blood count disorder that is associated with a reduced amount of erythrocytes, leukocytes and thrombocytes. Pancytopenia occurs in many diseases. Interestingly, the disorder is detected accidentally when the patient performs routine blood serum tests. Pancytopenia leads to a shortage of blood cells in all systems, i.e. anemia (manifested by weakness, fainting, increased heart rate, pale skin), leukopenia (increased susceptibility to infections) and thrombocytopenia (increased bleeding, haemorrhage, easier bruising). To find the causes of pancytopenia, a bone marrow puncture is often performed. Patients most often suffer from bone marrow aplasia or hypoplasia. Treatment of pancytopenia is based on alleviating symptoms and looking for the causes of the disease at the same time.
What are the causes of pancytopenia?
Interestingly, the causes of pancytopenia depend on the geographic region we live in, our age and gender. The causes of pancytopenia include megaloblastic anemia, which is a consequence of a lack of vitamin B12, and aplastic anemia, consisting in bone marrow failure caused by its atrophy. Pancytopenia is also caused by leukemia, lymphomas and sepsis. We can also encounter drug-induced pancytopenia, which is caused by antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The causes of pancytopenia also include enlarged spleen, some infections and myelodysplastic syndromes. Autoimmune diseases and cancer treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy also contribute to pancytopenia. The consequence of the above-mentioned diseases is the loss of bone marrow, as well as the inhibition of the production of new blood cells. In cancer, cancer cells displace normal blood cells. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to determine the cause of pancytopenia.
What is the treatment like?
First of all, it is worth mentioning that in the case of pancytopenia, the prognosis is closely related to the cause of it, the severity of the disorder, as well as the level of specific populations of blood cells in the blood and the state of the patient when the disorder was discovered. Interestingly, drug-induced pancytopenia should disappear shortly after discontinuing the drug that caused it. On the other hand, a disorder caused by cancer is more difficult to eliminate. It all depends on what treatment the doctor applied to the patient, how advanced the cancer process is and how the patient reacts to the treatment.
Unfortunately, there are also cases that can only be cured by performing a bone marrow transplant. Additionally, the patient has no guarantee that this will allow him to recover completely. In treating pancytopenia, the most important thing is to identify the underlying cause and then deal with it.
The easiest way is to fight drug-induced pancytopenia, because once the cause of it is determined by the doctor, it is enough for the patient to discontinue the medication that caused it. As a result, the marrow regains its function and the cells are again produced in the right way. As you can guess, the sooner a doctor discovers the cause of the disorder, the better the chances of treatment success.
Unfortunately, pancytopenia can be dangerous and leave a mark on our entire body. Therefore, symptomatic treatment is important and necessary. Thanks to it, you can prevent the effects of anemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Treatment is then based, inter alia, on blood transfusion, thanks to which the deficiencies of blood cells are replenished. Drugs that stimulate the production of blood cells are also administered. There are also situations when it is necessary to perform a transplant after finding a suitable donor. There are also cases where the sick person must be isolated to avoid infection. It is related to the low parameters of the white blood cell system. If the patient does not get through treatment, it can even lead to death.
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