acquired causes
Last reviewed 01/2018
Known acquired causes of aplastic anaemia include:
- drugs:
- the drug and/or their metabolites may be directly toxic
- an immune-mediated mechanism may be involved
- aplasia may develop weeks or months after initiation of treatment, or follow after the drug has been discontinued
- chemicals - mechanism is unknown and the effect idiosyncratic
- radiation
- infection:
- aplasia may develop concurrently with or following a variety of viral infections
- may be severe following hepatitis C infection and is accompanied by lymphocytopenia and cellular immune deficiency
- rheumatic and immunological disorders
- malnutrition e.g. Kwashiorkor
- thymoma
- pregnancy