As the name suggests, all patients with TEC recover completely with no sequelae. Etiology is unknown, although researchers have proposed a number of viral and immunologic mechanisms. TEC is not caused by a lack of erythropoietin. Bone marrow from patients with TEC exhibits an absence of red cell precursors.
Morbidity relates to severity of anemia and diagnostic workup.
Reports exist of children with TEC presenting with high-output shock secondary to profound anemia. Atypical incidents of TEC may require invasive tests such as bone marrow aspiration or biopsy. Association of transient neurologic deficits may lead the physician to pursue CNS imaging studies or neurologic consultation. In contrast, Diamond-Blackfan anemia tends to present when a child is younger than 1 year. Fatigue and pallor develop over the course of days and often associate with nonspecific viral symptoms, such as fever, malaise, lethargy, abdominal pain, or upper respiratory symptoms.