Aplastic anemia is a type of autoimmune and idiopathic disease, that is, without a definite cause where the bone marrow stops producing the adequate amount of blood. It produces symptoms such as pallor, purple marks on the skin for no apparent reason and long bleeding even in small cuts, being subdivided into moderate or severe (severe) anemia. Aplastic anemia when not properly treated can lead to death from infections in approximately 10 months.
Symptoms of aplastic anemia
Symptoms of aplastic anemia are:
- Paleness in the skin and mucous membranes; Several cases of infections per year; Purple marks on the skin for no apparent reason; Large hemorrhages even in small cuts; Tiredness, Shortness of breath; Tachycardia; Hemorrhage in the gums; Dizziness; Headache; Skin rash.
How to identify aplastic anemia
To identify aplastic anemia, a complete blood count, bone marrow biopsy, bone x-ray, vitamin B12 measurement, ferritin test, serology for viral infections, biochemical tests, cytogenetic study and direct and indirect coombs should be performed.
These tests can exclude other cases of disease and confirm the diagnosis of aplastic anemia. See which tests confirm anemia.
Patients undergoing treatment should undergo the following weekly examinations to see if the treatment is being performed well:
- CBC, urea, TGO / TGP / FA / DHL and CsA;
From the 2nd month and every 6 months:
- Chagas serology, lues, CMV, hepatitis A, B and C, HIV, HTLV 1, ferritin, direct and indirect combs.
Treatment for aplastic anemia
Treatment for aplastic anemia consists of blood transfusions, bone marrow transplantation, antibiotics for infections and immunosuppressive drugs such as methylprednisolone, cyclosporine and prednisone. Only 25% of patients have a bone marrow transplant, so the disease's survival rate is not very high.
