Aplastic anemia is a complex blood disease. It is associated with decreased production of granulocytes, red blood cells and platelets in the bone marrow. Medical terminology refers this disease to depressive diseases of blood formation.
Aplastic anemia is characterized by a decrease in the life span of red blood cells, accompanied by the destruction of red blood cells inside the bone marrow during all stages of development.
This disease has a very negative effect on the work of many organs. Therefore, timely diagnostic measures and proper treatment of the disease can significantly improve the quality of life.
Aplastic anemia can develop at any age. However, most often, according to statistics, people older than fifty are more susceptible to the disease.
The cause of the development of the disease remains unknown in approximately 80% of cases.
Otherwise, according to the studies of specialists, the disease is presumably caused by external factors, for example, the prolonged use of drugs (antibiotics, anti-TB drugs, sulfonamides, anti-inflammatory drugs and others).
Aplastic anemia progresses with prolonged inhalation of mercury vapor, oil products, benzene compounds, as well as due to radiation exposure.
Some cases of the onset of the condition are associated with the development of infectious processes in the body, various disorders in the functioning of the immune and endocrine systems.
The above causes, experts attribute to the acquired form of the disease.
The hereditary nature of the disease manifests itself in several types.
The disease may differ by the presence or absence of congenital malformations in the development of a general lesion of the formation of red blood cells. Anemia with selective pathology also occurs.
Symptoms depend on the type of condition.
Signs of Fanconi anemia are seen in early childhood. Congenital anomalies are expressed by serious defects in the development of bone tissue (oblique, an incomplete number of fingers on the arm, etc.). Along with this, general weakness, headaches, and susceptibility to colds are noted. A blood test reveals an elevated ESR. Typically, this condition lasts up to eighteen years and is fatal as a result of accidental infection or bleeding.
With anemia of Estren-Dameshek, there are no congenital pathologies. This type of disease is extremely rare.
With Diamond-Blackfen anemia, eye and skeleton lesions are rarely observed. Common symptoms of this condition are a grayish skin tone and an enlarged spleen. A blood test reveals reduced hemoglobin and a sharp increase in the ratio of red blood cells and white blood cells. As practice shows, most patients do not live up to twenty years.
Acquired acute disease is characterized by profuse intestinal, renal, nasal and skin bleeding. In this case, a fever develops.
Over the course of several days, patients experienced a sharp decrease in the concentration of platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells. The examination reveals the inhibition of cell maturation and destruction in the blood. Death occurs in about four to eight weeks.
The subacute form is characterized by less pronounced bleeding. The life period after the onset of the disease can be from three to thirteen months.
The chronic form of the disease has a slow course. It is characterized by long periods of remission.
In patients with functional adrenal insufficiency, normocytic normochromic anemia is observed to a mild degree. In many cases, this condition is difficult to detect due to a simultaneous decrease in plasma volume.
As a result of impaired hematopoietic hepatic function, macrocytic anemia develops.