AETIOLOGY OF PANCYTOPENIA

Background: Pancytopenia is a reduction in the number of each type of peripheral blood cell. Therefore the role of bone marrow examintion in diagnosis of pancytopenia is important to know etiology of pancytopenia. The objective of the study was to know the aetiology of pancytopenia. Methods: This descriptive (Cross sectional) study was carried out in Khyber teaching hospital. Fifty patients with pancytopenia were included in the study from 1st January 2008 to 30th October 2008. Full blood counts, bone marrow examinations and trephine biopsies were performed according to standard methods. Statistical packages for social science (SPSS.11) was used to analyze data. Results: Out of 50 patients, 36% were of aplastic anaemia, 16% megaloblastic anaemia, 14% myelodysplastic syndrome and 12% acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Hypersplenism in 10%, 4% non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and 4% multiple myeloma, 2% each of acute myeloblastic leukemia and chronic myelocytic leukemia. All of these disorders were common in male as compared to female. Conclusions: Aplastic anaemia was the commonest cause of pancytopenia followed by megaloblastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in our study.