Seriousness of severe acquired aplastic anemia in children. Apropos of 32 cases
Colmant, A.; Freycon, F.; Philippe, N.; Souillet, G.; Bost, M.; Frappaz, D.
Archives Francaises de Pediatrie 43(10): 757-763
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9764 PMID: 3548631 Document Number: 269718
Thirty-two cases of severe aplastic anemia in children less than 16 years of age, observed between 1967 and 1985 in the Rhône-Alpes area were studied retrospectively. A toxic cause was suspected in 7 cases, an hepatitis in 5 cases. Patients presented with 2 of the 3 following cytopenias during the 3 weeks following diagnosis: hemoglobin level below 100 g/l, reticulocyte count lower than 20 G/l, neutrophil polymorphonuclear leukocyte count below 0.5 G/l, platelet count lower than 20 G/l. Whatever the treatment, prognosis was poor: 6 surviving patients (18.7%). Nineteen patients did not undergo bone marrow transplantation: only 2 are surviving after 4 years, one after low dose corticosteroid therapy, the other after antilymphocyte globulins and androgen therapy; 10 of 17 deaths occurred in the first 4 months. Thirteen bone marrow transplantations from sibling donors, of which 10 HLA A, B DR identical and 3 haploidentical allowed for 8 prolonged takes but only 4 survivors of whom 2 lasted for more than 2 years.