Pancytopenia overview

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Overview
Pancytopenia is the pronounced reduction in the number of erythrocytes, all types of white blood cells and blood platelets that are circulating in the blood.

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 recognized 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 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is itself a cause for pancytopenia. Rarely, drugs (antibiotics, anti hypertensive medication, heart medication) can cause pancytopenia.

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