Aplastic anemia laboratory findings

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Shyam Patel [2]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.D. [3] Nazia Fuad M.D.

Patients with aplastic anemia have a hypoplastic bone marrow (<20% cellularity), pancytopenia, transfusion-dependent anemia, thrombocytopenia, severe neutropenia), low reticulocyte count, and normal maturation of all cell lines.

Laboratory findings consistent with the diagnosis of aplastic anemia include:

• Decreased hemoglobin
• Decreased hematocrit
• Decreased white blood cell count
• Decreased platelet count

• Decreased reticulocyte count (reticulocytopenia)

• Macrocytosis
• Poikilocytosis
• Small-sized platelets

The following tests should be performed to rule out other conditions:

• Renal function
• Basic metabolic panel
• Liver enzymes
• Thyroid function tests
• Viral studies
• Vitamin B12 and folic acid levels

• Hypocellular bone marrow with increased adipose tissue and decreased hematopoietic cells in the marrow space^[1]
• Normal maturation of all cell lines