Aplastic anaemia in pregnancy - a single centre, North American series

Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of adult aplastic anaemia: A British Society for Haematology Guideline

Pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow is the hallmark of aplastic anaemia (AA) and the diagnosis is confirmed after careful evaluation, following exclusion of alternate diagnosis including hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndromes. Emerging use of molecular cyto-genomics is helpful in delineating immune mediated AA from inherited bone marrow failures (IBMF). Camitta criteria is used to assess disease severity, which along with age and availability of human leucocyte antigen compatible donor are determinants for therapeutic decisions. Supportive care with blood and platelet transfusion support, along with anti-microbial prophylaxis and prompt management of opportunistic infections remain key throughout the disease course. The standard first-line treatment for newly diagnosed acquired severe/very severe AA patients is horse anti-thymocyte globulin and ciclosporin-based immunosuppressive therapy (IST) with eltrombopag or allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) from a matched sibling donor. Unrelated donor HSCT in adults should be considered after lack of response to IST, and up front for young adults with severe infections and a readily available matched unrelated donor. Management of IBMF, AA in pregnancy and in elderly require special attention. In view of the rarity of AA and complexity of management, appropriate discussion in multidisciplinary meetings and involvement of expert centres is strongly recommended to improve patient outcomes.

Aplastic Anemia Treated with Eltrombopag during Pregnancy

Aplastic anemia is a rare blood disorder characterized by pancytopenia and hypocellular bone marrow. In patients with aplastic anemia, pancytopenia sometimes worsens during pregnancy, and relapse of aplastic anemia in pregnancy is common. Nevertheless, only supportive care with blood products is the mainstay of treatment of aplastic anemia in pregnancy. Thus, the obstetric management and treatment of aplastic anemia in pregnancy is extremely challenging. We herein report the first case of a pregnant woman complicated with aplastic anemia who was successfully treated with eltrombopag, a thrombopoietin receptor agonist. A 27-year-old primigravida woman who had a history of aplastic anemia refractory to immunosuppressive therapy and was treated with eltrombopag became pregnant. Eltrombopag treatment was continued after weighing the benefits and potential risks. Throughout pregnancy, the woman's pancytopenia did not progress, and she delivered a 2336 g baby vaginally at 38 weeks of gestation. Her postpartum outcome was uneventful, and the neonate did not develop thrombocytosis. Since the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag in pregnancy has not yet been established, its routine use should be avoided. However, if limited to refractory cases and with adequate maternal and fetal monitoring, including neonatal blood examinations, the use of eltrombopag for patients with aplastic anemia during pregnancy may be acceptable and result in favorable maternal and fetal outcomes.

Pesticides and Chemicals as Potential Risk Factors of Aplastic Anemia: A Case-Control Study Among a Pakistani Population

Introduction

Aplastic anemia is a rare and potentially life-threatening hematological disorder with incidence of 1.4 to 14 cases/million. It is associated with exposures to certain environmental chemicals, drugs and infections. The objective was to investigate the association of illness with family history of aplastic anemia, exposure to pesticides and chemicals.

Methodology

A hospital-based case–control study (191 cases, 696 controls) was conducted from 1st January 2015 to 31st December 2018 in Karachi, Sindh. Cases were patients with diagnosis of aplastic anemia confirmed with bone marrow biopsy. Controls neither had aplastic anemia nor other hematological chronic diseases. An in-person interview was conducted to collect demographic information, family history of aplastic anemia, and history of pesticide and chemical exposure. The adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated via SPSS v22.

Results

A total of 191 confirmed aplastic anemia cases were selected. Mean age was 29 years (range: 4–69) and predominantly there were males 129 (67.5%). The majority, 84 (44.0%), of the cases were aged 16–30 years. In multivariate analysis models, the significant associations were observed between aplastic anemia with family history of aplastic anemia (aOR=13.3, 95% C.I 3.66–48.50), exposure to pesticides (aOR=2.1, 95% C.I 1.23–3.61) and chemicals (aOR=3.6, 95% C.I 2.06–6.34).

Conclusion

This study observed a significant association of aplastic anemia with family history of aplastic anemia, exposure to pesticide and insecticide exposure. However, to establish this connection, further longitudinal studies are warranted.

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Pregnancy-associated aplastic anemia: a case-based review

Introduction: Pregnancy-associated aplastic anemia (pAA) occurs when aplastic anemia (AA) is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy and it is a rare but serious condition leading to severe maternal and fetal complications. It is unknown whether pregnancy triggers bone marrow failure or if this state is unrelated to the pathogenesis of pAA.Areas covered: In this review, three new cases of pAA are presented and its controversial etiologic relationship with pregnancy, its atypical presentation, and management are also discussed. Furthermore, a literature review of pAA cases between 1975 and 2020 was performed in PubMed, accessed via the National Library of Medicine PubMed interface. Keywords included 'aplastic anemia' AND 'pregnancy'. We found 54 cases reported in the literature with a clear diagnosis of pAA.Expert opinion: The diagnosis of pAA is challenging since pregnancy is associated with physiologic hematological changes in the complete blood count which can mask the disease. Meticulous monitoring and adequate support therapy given by a trained multidisciplinary team have the potential to improve outcomes for women and their neonates. All women should receive frequent assessments to optimize their care during pregnancy and after delivery, definitive treatment should be offered.