EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ACQUIRED APLASTIC ANAEMIA IN PAKISTAN
Abstract
Background: Acquired aplastic anaemia is a rare disease which results in morbidity and mortalityat a young age. This study was carried out to determine the clinical presentation, haematologicalparameters and association factors of acquired aplastic anaemia in a cohort of Pakistani patients.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Haematology Department, Shaikh ZayedHospital, Lahore over 7 years from June 2000 to July 2007. Eighty-two patients of acquiredaplastic anaemia were enrolled in the study by non-probability purposive sampling. Theirdiagnosis was confirmed by complete blood count, bone marrow aspirate and trephine biopsy. Thecohort was classified on the basis of severity and the epidemiological, clinical and haematologicalparameters were analysed. Results: Of the 82 enrolled patients of acquired aplastic anaemia, 49(59.8%) were males and 33 (40.2%) were females. Mean age of the patients was 27.93±18.7 yearswith a range of 1–80 years. The male to female ratio was 1.48:1. Bone marrow cellularity was lessthan 25 % in 31 (38.0%) cases and between 25–30% in 51 (62%) of patients. Most of the caseswere clinically severe aplastic anaemia (68%). In 62 (76%) of the cases no association factorspredisposing to aplastic anaemia could be identified. Conclusion: Acquired Aplastic anaemia is adisease of all ages. In the second decade and the elderly predominantly severe clinical stages wereseen. Males presented at a younger age while females presented at all ages with a somewhatsimilar incidence. No association factors of Aplastic Anaemia could be identified in majority ofthe patients.Keywords: Aplastic anaemia, epidemiology, clinical stagingReferences
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