Etiology of Pancytopenia and its Bone Marrow Picture

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Pancytopenia is an important clinicalhematological entity encountered in our day-to-day clinicalpractice. Pancytopenia may be a presentation of a widevariety of disorders, which primarily or secondarily affect thebone marrow. Study aimed to identify the etiology and bonemarrow morphology of pancytopenia patients.Material and methods: Total 30 non-malignant patientswho had pancytopenia were included in the study. Based onclinical findings bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsywere carried out. All the bone marrow aspirate smears werestained with May-Grunwald Giemsa and trephine biopsieswere stained with and hematoxylin and eosin.Results: The majority of patients were from age group 29-38years (9 cases). Male to female ratio was 1.51. Commonestcomplaint presented was weakness in 28 cases followed byfever in 21 cases. Other presenting complaints were fatigue,breathlessness, icterus. Severe acute malnutrition was presentin 6 patients followed by malaria and dengue (5 cases each),Enteric fever in 2 patients. The most common cause ofPancytopenia was megaloblastic anaemia and was seen in 13cases. Bone marrow was hypercellular in all cases.Conclusion: Detailed physical examination; hematologicalinvestigations along with bone marrow aspiration andbone marrow biopsy wherever necessary in Pancytopenicpatients are helpful to diagnose or to rule out the causes ofPancytopenia.