Clinical and Etiological Profiles of Patients With Pancytopenia in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background Pancytopenia is more of a manifestation of a spectrum of underlying diseases affecting the bone marrow. Specific treatment relies solely on early diagnosis and identification of the accurate etiology. We aimed to generate data on the clinical and etiological profiles of patients diagnosed with pancytopenia. Materials and methods Fifty patients more than 13 years of age with pancytopenia who reported to a tertiary care hospital were included in the study. Thorough clinical examination, hematological investigation, and bone marrow biopsies were performed, and relevant data were recorded and analyzed statistically. Results Pancytopenia was most common in the age group of 25-34 years, with a male preponderance. The most common presenting complaints were fatigue and fever, with pallor present in all patients, followed by splenomegaly and hepatomegaly in a few patients. Aplastic anemia is the most common cause of pancytopenia, followed by megaloblastic anemia and leukemia. Conclusion While fatigue and fever are the most usual symptoms of pancytopenia, clinical pallor, hepatomegaly, and splenomegaly may be evident. Among the several etiologies, aplastic anemia is one of the most common causes of pancytopenia.

Keywords: aplastic anemia; fatigue; fever; megaloblastic anemia; pallor; pancytopenia.