Aplastic anemia is the condition that the bone marrow produces too few of all 3 types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This is not the usual understanding of anemia that involves red blood cells only, A term descripbing a shortage of all types of blood cells is called pancytopenia.

The symptoms of aplastic anemia include:

• fatigue and weakness due to a low red blood cell count (anemia)
• frequent or severe infections due to a low white blood cell count (leukopenia)
• easy bruising, nose bleeds, bleeding of the gums, and bleeding of internal organs due to a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia).
• Other symptoms include shortness of breath on exertion, rapid heart rate, and rash.

In general, aplastic anemia results from injury to the stem cell. Normal stem cells in the bone marrow divide and differentiate into all blood cell types. Thus, when stem cells are injured, there is a reduction in red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

In about half of cases, the cause of aplastic anemia is unknown.This is called idiopathic aplastic anemia. When the cause is identifiable, it's called secondary aplastic anemia. Factors that may induce aplastic anemia include: chemotherapy, drug therapy to suppress the immune system, radiation therapy, toxins such as benzene or arsenic, drugs, pregnancy (rare), viral infection and congenital disorders.

Anemia
Anemia - B12 deficiency (Macrocytic anemia)
Aplastic Anemia
Folate-deficiency anemia
Hemoglobin SC disease
Hemolytic anemia
Hemolytic anemia - G-6-PD deficiency
Hereditary elliptocytosis
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria
Sickle Cell Anemia