Pancytopenia is a medical condition in which there is a reduction in the number of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets.

Causes

Pancytopenia is generally due to diseases affecting the bone marrow, although peripheral destruction of all lines of blood cells in hypersplenism (overactive spleen) is a recognised cause. Bone marrow problems causing pancytopenia include myelofibrosis, leukemia, aplastic anemia, and the malignant form of osteoporosis.

Chemotherapy for malignancies may also cause pancytopenia, if the drug or drugs used cause bone marrow suppression.

Increasingly, HIV is itself a cause for pancytopenia.

Rarely, drugs (antibiotics, blood pressure medication, heart medication) can cause pancytopenia.

Diagnosis

Pancytopenia usually requires a bone marrow biopsy in order to distinguish among different causes.

Causes of pancytopenia

1. Aplastic anemia
2. Dyskeratosis congenita
3. Myelodysplastic syndrome
4. Leukemia
5. Leishmaniasis
6. Severe Folate or Vitamin B12 deficiency
7. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
8. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (Urine test)
9. Finally overwhelming viral infections (HIV most common).

See also

• Leukopenia, a reduction in white blood cells
• Neutropenia, a reduction in neutrophil granulocytes