- Main symptoms
- Is spinal aplasia cancer?
- Possible causes of spinal aplasia
- How the diagnosis is made
- How the treatment is done
Bone marrow aplasia or bone marrow aplasia is a disease characterized by changes in bone marrow function. The bone marrow is responsible for the production of blood cells. When it is compromised by any factor, its production can be reduced or even stopped, which leads to low concentrations of red blood cells, platelets and leukocytes circulating in the blood.
Usually the cause of spinal aplasia is not known, but it may be associated with exposure to chemical agents, radiation, medication, or it may be the result of a more serious disease, such as Fanconi's anemia. The decrease in circulating blood cells can lead to a series of symptoms, such as pallor, shortness of breath, the presence of bruises and the frequent occurrence of infections.
Treatment is established according to the degree of aplasia and is usually done with the use of immunosuppressive drugs, antibiotics, blood transfusions and, in the most severe cases, bone marrow transplantation. The treatment can only be established by the doctor after the result of the blood count and myelogram, which must be requested by the same.
Main symptoms
Because it is a disease in which there is a low number of red blood cells, platelets and leukocytes, the symptoms of spinal aplasia are related to the decrease of these elements in the blood:
- Excessive tiredness; Shortness of breath; Paleness; Presence of purple spots on the skin; Abnormal bleeding; Frequent infections.
These symptoms may appear suddenly or more slowly and gradually. In addition, there may be headache, tachycardia and dizziness in cases of spinal cord aplasia.
Spinal aplasia can be synonymous with aplastic anemia, as both have the same cause, the same symptoms and the same treatment. Learn more about aplastic anemia.
Is spinal aplasia cancer?
Spinal aplasia is not cancer. Although leukemia is a type of cancer that affects blood cells, there is a change in the marrow that allows the marrow to produce and release more cells of a certain cell line or release cells that have not yet undergone a maturation process, such as myelocytes, for example. example.
In marrow aplasia, on the other hand, the marrow actually loses its function, that is, the cells are produced in a much smaller quantity or there may simply be no production.
Possible causes of spinal aplasia
The causes of spinal aplasia are not always known, but it is usually related to:
- Prolonged exposure to radiation; Use of cytotoxic drugs; Exposure to benzene derivatives; Exposure to insecticides; Infections; Use of drugs such as chloramphenicol, for example; Autoimmune diseases.
Spinal cord aplasia is rarely hereditary, but when it does it is usually related to Fanconi anemia, which is a serious, genetic and rare disease in which the child has malformations, which can be seen right at birth, skin blemishes, renal impairment, short stature and more chances of developing tumors and leukemia. Understand how to identify and treat Fanconi's anemia.
How the diagnosis is made
The diagnosis of spinal aplasia is made by means of a blood test indicated by the general practitioner, the blood count, in which the amounts of red blood cells, leukocytes and platelets circulating in the blood can be checked.
In addition, the doctor may request a myelogram, which is a slightly more invasive exam in which blood and bone marrow aspiration is performed on the hip bone or sternum bone to check how the blood cells are being produced.. See what the indications are and how the myelogram is made.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of spinal aplasia is established according to the degree of aplasia. With the correct treatment, the picture of spinal aplasia can be reversed, that is, the bone marrow can recover its ability to produce blood cells. Therefore, spinal aplasia is curable.
The treatment of spinal aplasia can be done with:
- Immunosuppressive drugs, which stimulate the production of blood cells by the bone marrow; Antibiotics, to treat possible infections, since the immune system is compromised because of the decrease in the number of leukocytes. Blood transfusions, including whole blood, red blood cell concentrate, platelet concentrate or leukocyte concentrate to increase the concentration of these constituents in the patient's blood.
In cases of more severe aplasia, it may be necessary to perform a bone marrow transplant, which despite having a high chance of complications, the possibility of cure is greater. See how bone marrow transplantation occurs.
