Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Aplastic anemia laboratory findings
Introduction
Overview
Overview
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
Laboratory Findings
Laboratory findings consistent with the diagnosis of aplastic anemia include:
Complete blood count (CBC)
- Decreased hemoglobin
- Decreased hematocrit
- Decreased white blood cell count
- Decreased platelet count
Reticulocyte count
- Decreased reticulocyte count (reticulocytopenia)
Peripheral blood smear
- Macrocytosis
- Poikilocytosis
- Small-sized platelets
Other tests
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
Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
- Hypocellular bone marrow with increased adipose tissue and decreased hematopoietic cells in the marrow space[1]
- Normal maturation of all cell lines
References
References
- ↑ Scheinberg P, Young NS (2012). “How I treat acquired aplastic anemia”. Blood. 120 (6): 1185–96. doi:10.1182/blood-2011-12-274019. PMC 3418715. PMID 22517900.
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.