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HematologyCondition·Updated Jul 20, 2026·v1

Aplastic Anemia and Pure Red Cell Aplasia

Aplastic anemia is a rare bone marrow failure syndrome defined by pancytopenia and hypocellular marrow. Management hinges on accurate severity assessment (Camitta criteria), identification of a PNH clone (guides IST response), and exclusion of inherited BMF via telomere length and genetic testing. For severe AA, first-line therapy is IST with hATG, cyclosporine, and eltrombopag, or HSCT for eligible younger patients. Pure red cell aplasia is a distinct disorder requiring evaluation for thymoma, parvovirus, and autoimmune causes. Supportive care includes transfusion support, iron chelation, and infection prophylaxis. Long-term surveillance for clonal evolution and secondary malignancies is essential.

Moderate Evidence99 references·4,310 words·18 min read·v1
aplastic anemiapure red cell aplasiabone marrow failurepancytopeniaimmunosuppressive therapyhematopoietic stem cell transplantationeltrombopagantithymocyte globulincyclosporinePNHtelomere biology disorderCamitta criteriadeferasirox
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Quick Reference

RxDrug of choiceHorse antithymocyte globulin (hATG) 40 mg/kg/day IV x4 days + cyclosporine 5 mg/kg/day BID + eltrombopag 50 mg/day (adults) for severe aplastic anemia. For PRCA: cyclosporine or IVIG (parvovirus B19).
AltAlternativesAlemtuzumab, romiplostim, androgens (oxymetholone), rabbit ATG (for hATG-allergic patients).
AvoidAvoid G-CSF (risk of monosomy 7), danazol (increases relapse), non-dihydropyridine CCBs.
DxTest of choiceBone marrow biopsy with aspirate, flow cytometry for PNH clone, telomere length (flow-FISH).
ScKey scoreCamitta criteria: Severe AA = marrow <25% + 2 of 3 (ANC <500, plts <20K, retics <1% or <60K).
When to referFor HSCT evaluation (≤60 years with donor), suspicion of inherited BMF, relapsed/refractory disease, pregnancy with AA.
Aplastic anemia is a medical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis and risk stratification; IST with eltrombopag or HSCT dramatically improves outcomes. PRCA is a separate entity with distinct management.
Aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare, life-threatening bone marrow failure syndrome characterized by pancytopenia and hypocellular marrow. Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is a related disorder with selective erythroid aplasia. Prompt diagnosis and risk stratification are critical: immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with or without eltrombopag achieves response in ~70% of severe AA, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) offers cure for eligible patients. This page provides a comprehensive overview of evaluation and management for both entities.

Overview and Recommendations

Background

  • Aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare acquired bone marrow failure syndrome with an incidence of 1.6-2.35 per million per year, affecting all ages with a bimodal peak (young adults and elderly). It is defined by peripheral blood pancytopenia and bone marrow hypocellularity (<25% cellularity) in the absence of infiltration or fibrosis.
  • Approximately 50% of cases have no identifiable cause; the strongest environmental risk factor is benzene exposure ≥30 times per year (OR 4.2). Drug associations include chloramphenicol (OR 8.7) and azithromycin (OR 11.0), though wide confidence intervals suggest some may be due to chance. Immune-mediated destruction of hematopoietic stem cells, driven by activated T cells and cytokines, is the central pathophysiologic mechanism.
  • Up to 35% of patients harbor somatic MDS-related mutations (e.g., ASXL1, DNMT3A) at diagnosis, and a paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) clone (≥0.1% by flow cytometry) is present in ~40% of acquired AA, predicting response to immunosuppression. Short telomeres (<1st percentile for age) identify an underlying telomere biology disorder (e.g., dyskeratosis congenita) in ~22% of screened patients, which carries implications for donor selection and long-term surveillance.
  • Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is a distinct entity characterized by isolated anemia, reticulocytopenia, and normocellular marrow with selective erythroid precursor absence. It is associated with thymoma, parvovirus B19 infection, autoimmune disorders, and drugs (e.g., erythropoietin antibodies). Unlike AA, PRCA does not involve myeloid or platelet lineages and carries a lower risk of clonal evolution to MDS/AML.
  • Prognosis in AA depends on disease severity (Camitta criteria), age, and presence of a PNH clone. Untreated severe AA (SAA) has a 1-year mortality >50%; with modern IST (horse ATG + cyclosporine + eltrombopag), 5-year overall survival exceeds 80% in responders. HSCT from a matched sibling donor achieves 5-year GRFS of ~77% in upfront transplant.

Evaluation

  • Suspect AA in any patient with unexplained pancytopenia, typically presenting with fatigue, pallor, bruising/bleeding, or recurrent infections. Ask about occupational/chemical exposures (benzene, pesticides), medication history (chloramphenicol, NSAIDs, antiepileptics), and family history of cytopenias or cancer (suggesting inherited bone marrow failure).
  • Examine for petechiae, ecchymoses, pallor, and signs of infection. Look for congenital anomalies (thumb radius, skin pigmentation, short stature) that may indicate Fanconi anemia or dyskeratosis congenita. Splenomegaly is absent in AA and should prompt consideration of other diagnoses (e.g., leukemia, myelofibrosis, hypersplenism).
  • Order a complete blood count (CBC) with differential and reticulocyte count. In AA, pancytopenia is present: neutropenia (ANC <1.5×10⁹/L), thrombocytopenia (<100×10⁹/L), and anemia with low reticulocyte count. In PRCA, only anemia with reticulocytopenia (<1% or <60×10⁹/L) is seen; WBC and platelet counts are normal.
  • Perform bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, the gold standard for diagnosis. AA shows hypocellularity (<25%) with fatty replacement, no dysplasia, and no fibrosis. PRCA shows normocellular marrow with a marked reduction or absence of erythroid precursors (proerythroblasts) while myeloid and megakaryocytic lineages are intact.
  • Send flow cytometry for PNH clones (granulocyte and monocyte gates) because a clone ≥0.1% strongly supports acquired AA (PPV 97.8%) and predicts response to IST. If PNH clone is absent, consider inherited bone marrow failure and proceed with telomere length measurement (flow-FISH) and genetic testing for telomere biology disorders.
  • Assess disease severity using the Camitta criteria: Severe AA (SAA) is defined as bone marrow cellularity <25% plus at least two of the following: ANC <500/μL, platelet count <20,000/μL, reticulocyte count <1% (or <60,000/μL). Very severe AA (VSAA) has ANC <200/μL. Non-severe AA (NSAA) does not meet SAA criteria but has cytopenias.
  • For PRCA, test for parvovirus B19 by PCR (especially in immunocompromised hosts), thymoma by chest CT, and autoimmune serologies (ANA, RF, anti-EPO antibodies). If thymoma is found, refer for surgical resection. Consider underlying lymphoproliferative disorders (e.g., large granular lymphocyte leukemia) by flow cytometry and T-cell gene rearrangement studies.
  • Also consider other causes of pancytopenia: vitamin B12/folate deficiency, copper deficiency, infection (HIV, EBV, CMV), hypersplenism, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and acute leukemia. Check B12, folate, copper, serum ferritin, viral serologies, and peripheral blood smear for blasts or dysplastic changes.
  • In patients with suspected inherited BMF, perform chromosome breakage analysis (diepoxybutane test for Fanconi anemia) and genetic testing for telomere biology disorders (TERT, TERC, DKC1, etc.). Family history of early greying, lung fibrosis, or liver disease may suggest a telomere disorder.
  • Document baseline renal function (eGFR), liver function tests (LFTs), and serum potassium before initiating IST (cyclosporine, ATG) or eltrombopag. Check iron studies if the patient has received multiple transfusions. HLA typing should be performed early for all potential transplant candidates.

Management

  • For severe or very severe AA (SAA/VSAA) in patients ≤40 years with a matched sibling donor, proceed directly to allogeneic HSCT. Conditioning typically includes cyclophosphamide 200 mg/kg and ATG. For patients >40 years or without a suitable donor, initiate immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with horse antithymocyte globulin (hATG) 40 mg/kg/day IV for 4 consecutive days plus cyclosporine 5 mg/kg/day BID (target trough 200-400 ng/mL) for at least 6-12 months.
  • Add eltrombopag to IST in treatment-naïve SAA: starting dose 50 mg/day for adults (25 mg/day for children 1-6 years), titrated to a target platelet count of 50-200×10⁹/L, maximum 150 mg/day. Eltrombopag increases complete response rate from 12% to 31% and improves overall survival in non-responders. Monitor CBC weekly and LFTs monthly; discontinue if ALT >3× ULN or if new cytogenetic abnormalities (especially monosomy 7) appear.
  • For patients with non-severe AA (NSAA) who are transfusion-dependent or symptomatic, consider eltrombopag monotherapy (starting at 50 mg/day) or a short course of cyclosporine. In elderly patients unfit for ATG, eltrombopag alone achieves hematologic improvement in ~64% and transfusion independence in ~46% at 6 months.
  • Supportive care: Maintain platelet count ≥10×10⁹/L (≥20×10⁹/L if fever or active bleeding) with irradiated, leukoreduced platelets. Target hemoglobin >7 g/dL with irradiated RBCs. Use CMV-negative or filtered products. Avoid unnecessary transfusions to minimize alloimmunization and iron overload.
  • Initiate iron chelation with deferasirox 20 mg/kg/day (starting dose based on transfusion iron intake: 10-30 mg/kg/day) for patients with serum ferritin >1000 ng/mL or >20 transfusions. Titrate to ferritin trend; monitor renal function, LFTs, and audiometry/ophthalmology. Deferasirox may also improve hematopoiesis, ~45% of AA patients become transfusion-independent on chelation alone.
  • For infections, use broad-spectrum antibiotics for febrile neutropenia (ANC <500/μL). Consider granulocyte transfusions for severe bacterial/fungal infections unresponsive to maximal antimicrobial therapy. G-CSF is not recommended for routine use, it increases the risk of monosomy 7 (P=0.02) and does not improve survival.
  • Avoid danazol in IST-treated patients (it increases relapse risk, RR 3.15) and avoid non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (they exacerbate cytopenias). Do not use adjuvant G-CSF with IST. Monitor for thromboembolism with eltrombopag (incidence 3/100 patient-years): cerebrovascular events predominate, especially in patients >70 years; anticoagulate if platelets >50×10⁹/L.
  • For pure red cell aplasia (PRCA): If associated with thymoma, perform thymectomy. For parvovirus B19-induced PRCA, administer IVIG 0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days. For autoimmune PRCA, start cyclosporine 5 mg/kg/day BID or prednisone 1 mg/kg/day. If no response in 3 months, consider rituximab 375 mg/m² weekly for 4 doses or azathioprine 1-2 mg/kg/day.
  • Monitor IST response at 3-6 months: hematologic response (HR) is defined as improvement in all three lineages to Camitta criteria for non-severe disease. Complete response (CR) requires normalization of counts. If no response by 6 months, consider salvage therapy: second HSCT, alemtuzumab, or androgens (oxymetholone 2 mg/kg/day).
  • Long-term surveillance: Repeat bone marrow biopsy at 12 months if counts improve; monitor for clonal evolution to MDS/AML (annual CBC and cytogenetics). Screen for solid tumors (skin, oropharynx, liver) 5 years post-HSCT. For patients with telomere biology disorders, avoid alcohol and smoking, and screen for pulmonary fibrosis and liver disease.
  • Refer to a tertiary center for HSCT evaluation if the patient is ≤60 years with a suitable donor. For pediatric patients with relapsed AA, HSCT is superior to second IST (HR 0.19). For pregnant women with AA, coordinate with maternal-fetal medicine: use prophylactic LMWH during pregnancy and for 6 weeks postpartum; avoid eltrombopag and ATG. Manage transfusions as needed.
  • Discharge criteria for patients with AA: stable counts (ANC >500/μL, platelets >20×10⁹/L without transfusion support), no active infection, and clear plan for outpatient follow-up (weekly CBC, monthly LFTs, quarterly PNH flow cytometry). Educate patients to avoid NSAIDs, aspirin, and contact sports. Vaccinate against influenza, pneumococcus, and COVID-19 using inactivated vaccines.

Board Review — High Yield

  • Camitta criteria, Severe AA: marrow <25% cellularity + two of three: ANC <500/μL, platelets <20,000/μL, reticulocytes <1% or <60,000/μL.
  • PNH clone, Present in ~40% of acquired AA; ≥0.1% predicts response to IST (OR 3.10) and helps rule out inherited BMF (PPV 97.8%).
  • Eltrombopag, TPO-RA added to IST increases complete response from 12% to 31% in SAA; monitor for monosomy 7 and thromboembolism.
  • Benzene exposure, Strongest environmental risk factor (OR 4.2); take detailed occupational history.
  • Telomere length, <1st percentile for age suggests dyskeratosis congenita; screen all newly diagnosed AA patients.
  • Danazol, Avoid in IST patients; increases relapse risk (RR 3.15).
  • HSCT, Upfront matched sibling donor HSCT in patients ≤40 years achieves 5-year GRFS ~77%; salvage HSCT has HR 4.08 for death.
  • PRCA, Isolated anemia + reticulocytopenia; evaluate for thymoma, parvovirus B19, autoimmune disorders; treat underlying cause.
  • Iron chelation, Deferasirox 20 mg/kg/day; pre-HSCT ferritin >2500 ng/mL increases mortality (HR 2.31).
  • G-CSF, Avoid in AA; duration ≥40 days increases risk of monosomy 7 (P=0.02).

Deep Dive — Evidence Details

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