ABSTRACT
Objective: to determine the clinico-haematological profile and etiological factors of aplastic anaemia in patients under study
Material and Methods: this cross sectional study was conducted on 34 aplastic anaemic patients in the department of Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan with cases referred from medicine, pediatric and out patients departments over a period of 22 months from October 2008 to July 2010. Patients of all ages and sex were included in the study. Data was entered into SPSS version 15 and analyzed descriptively
Results: results depict that most of the patients were in the age range 5-35 years with mean+/-SD [22.18+/-9.107 years]. 82.35% patients were males and 17.65% were females. Out of 34 cases diagnosed as aplastic anaemia, 30 cases [88.2%] were suffering from acquired aplastic anemia while 4 [11.7%] cases were found to have inherited aplastic anaemia [Fanconi Anaemia]. Out of 34 patients with acquired aplastic anemia, 23 [67.6%] patients had drug induced marrow hypoplasia with major marrow suppressant effect produced by chloramphenicol and sulfa formulated drugs in 14 [60.87%]. 9 [39.13%] patients used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs particularly lndomethacin and heavy metals incorporated in herbal medicines. Only 4 cases [11.8%] were diagnosed as inherited aplastic anaemia with major clinical manifestations in the form of hyperpigmentation of skin, short stature and hypoplastic thenar eminences. Interestingly there was not a single patient with positive viral serological profile [e.g. HCV, HBsAg, HIV etc]
Conclusion: majority of the studied patients had acquired aplastic anaemia. Antibiotics particularly Sulfonamides and Chloramphenicol, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gold salts and non-specified heavy metals are important causes of bone marrow suppression