Abstract

Pancytopenia is the reduction of all the three formed elements of blood (erythrocytes, leucocytes & platelets), below the normal reference range leading to anemia, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia. Pancytopenia is not a disease itself but a triad of findings that may result from a number of diseases processes–primarily or secondarily involving the bone marrow. There are various mechanisms for developing pancytopenia, in which most important is the decrease in hematopoietic cell production (hypocellular marrow). Others includes ineffective erythropoiesis, increase peripheral utilization and destruction of cells & bone marrow with malignant infiltration (hypercellular or normocellular marrow). First step in the diagnosis of a disease is assessing the blood elements. Physical examination findings and peripheral blood picture provide important information in the work up of patients with pancytopenia and help in planning the investigations on bone marrow samples.

Description