Q1:
What is Aplastic Anemia?
A: Aplastic
Anemia is a rare, potentially serious and non-contagious
bone marrow failure disease that occurs when the bone marrow
stops making enough blood cells. A person has three major
types of blood cells – red cells, white cells, and
platelets. Anemia results from reduced red cell production,
infections are a result of reduced white cell production,
and bleeding results from reduced platelet production. When
the bone marrow is almost empty of blood forming cells,
the condition is described as hypoplastic or aplastic. Aplastic
anemia can occur at any age, in any gender and in any race
of people.
Q2:
What are the causes of Aplastic Anemia?
A: Aplastic
Anemia may be caused by injury to the bone marrow by radiation,
chemicals, various medications, viruses, immune diseases,
pregnancy, insecticides and pesticides. It is important
to realize that bone marrow failure is a very rare response
to a wide variety of possible causative factors to which
we are all commonly exposed. In most cases of Aplastic Anemia,
we do not find any link with environmental factors.
Q3:
What are the symptoms of these diseases?
A: Anemia
is commonly experienced by Aplastic Anemia, Myelodysplastic
syndromes and PNH patients. Symptoms of anemia include weakness,
exhaustion, excessive sleeping, palpitations, and headaches.
Low platelets cause spontaneous bruising, nosebleeds, excessive
menstrual bleeding and gum bleeding. Low white cell counts
can cause mouth ulcers, fevers and infections. These symptoms,
especially in mild forms, are common in anybody and do not
necessarily indicate that there is a serious blood disorder.
Q4:
What is Moderate Aplastic Anemia (MAA)?
A: MAA
is the classification for those who have significantly reduced
blood counts but not as reduced as occurs in severe Aplastic
Anemia. In many cases, doctors will not prescribe treatment
for moderate Aplastic Anemia patients but will simply monitor
blood counts. Moderate Aplastic Anemia may remain unchanged
for many years. Sometimes it is detected during a routine
physical exam, or it may be discovered if it escalates to
severe Aplastic Anemia, as it begins causing more symptoms.
Q5:
What is Severe Aplastic Anemia (SAA)?
A: SAA
is defined by a marrow cellularity (blood cell production)
of less than 25% and at least two of the following:
Q6:
What is Very Severe Aplastic Anemia (VSAA)?
A: VSAA
is defined by a neutrophil count of less than 0.2 billion
per liter (<200/mm3.)
Q7:
What are the similarities between Aplastic Anemia and MDS?
A: There
are many similarities between Aplastic Anemia and Melodysplastic
Syndromes (MDS), and patients share many of the same symptoms.
Both groups suffer from anemia and reductions in the number
of platelets and white blood cells. However, Aplastic Anemia
is more prevalent among young people, while the incidence
of MDS increases with age. Some aplastic anemia patients
progress into Melodysplastic Syndromes. One type of MDS,
the hypoplastic form (hypoplastic referring to a decrease
in cell growth), looks very similar to severe Aplastic Anemia.
Q8:
What are the differences between Aplastic Anemia and MDS?
A: The
biggest difference between the two diseases is that in Aplastic
Anemia the bone marrow is producing normal blood cells,
but isn’t making enough of them (hypoplastic bone
marrow); in MDS the bone marrow may be stuffed with cells
(hyperplastic bone marrow), but these cells are ‘cloned’
from an abnormal stem cell. This means they do not function
properly as mature ‘differentiated’ cells. The
end result is similar to Aplastic Anemia—not enough
of the right kind of cells for each job.
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