Aplastic Anemia: Which Treatment?
Authors: Janis L. Abkowitz
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2001)

Editorials2 October 2001Aplastic Anemia: Which Treatment?Janis L. Abkowitz, MDJanis L. Abkowitz, MDFrom University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-135-7-200110020-00012 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The word aplastic means “unformed”; it is derived from the Greek negative prefix a and plasso, “to form.” In aplastic anemia, blood does not form, leading to deficiencies of granulocytes, platelets, and erythrocytes and to severe clinical consequences, of which infection and bleeding are the most important. In 1935, the course of this disease was considered “progressively, inexorably, and more or less rapidly, fatal” (1). In the past 30 years, morbidity and mortality from aplastic anemia have dramatically decreased because of two effective interventions: allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation and immunosuppression with antithymocyte globulin (or antilymphocyte globulin) and cyclosporine. Five-year survival ...References1. Musser JH, Wintrobe MM. Anemias characterized by lack of blood formation. In: Tice F, eds. Practice of Medicine. Prior Hagerstown, MD 1935:872. Google Scholar2. Brodsky RA, Sensenbrenner LL, Smith BD, Dorr D, Seaman PJ, Lee SM, et al . Durable treatment-free remission after high-dose cyclophosphamide therapy for previously untreated severe aplastic anemia. Ann Intern Med. 2001;135:477-83. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Young NS. Hematopoietic cell destruction by immune mechanisms in acquired aplastic anemia. Semin Hematol. 2000;37:3-14. [PMID: 10676907] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Horowitz MM. Current status of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in acquired aplastic anemia. 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Abkowitz, MDAffiliations: From University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonCorresponding Author: Janis L. Abkowitz, MD, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1705 NE Pacific Street, K-136, Box 357710, Seattle, WA 98195-7710. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoDurable Treatment-Free Remission after High-Dose Cyclophosphamide Therapy for Previously Untreated Severe Aplastic Anemia Robert A. Brodsky , Lyle L. Sensenbrenner , B. Douglas Smith , Donna Dorr , Phillip J. Seaman , Shing M. Lee , Judith E. Karp , Isadore Brodsky , and Richard J. Jones Metrics Cited byWhat’s All the Fuss About? Facts and Figures About Bone Marrow Failure and ConditionsEtiology and Survival of Aplastic Anemia: A Study Based on Clinical InvestigationCellular disorders and anaemiasDetecting Aplastic AnemiaCyclosporine monotherapy for severe aplastic anemia: a developing country experienceHigh-dose cyclophosphamide promising in severe aplastic anaemia 2 October 2001Volume 135, Issue 7Page: 524-526KeywordsAplastic anemiaBone marrowCellsCyclophosphamideGlobulinsGranulocytesHematopoietic stem cellsHemoglobinPlateletsTransplantation ePublished: 2 October 2001 Issue Published: 2 October 2001 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2001 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...