PANCYTOPENIA: A REPORT OF 251 CASES

YUNUS AVCI¹, OSMAN YOKU޲, HABIP GEDIK³

¹ Internal Diseases Physician, Department of Internal Diseases, Ministry of Health Okmeydani Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul - ² Hematologist and Internal Diseases Physician, Department of Hematology, Ministry of Health İstanbul Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul - ³ Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Physician, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Ministry of Health Bakırköy Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey

Introduction: Pancytopenia develops due to vitamin deficiencies, hematologic, gastrointestinal, endocrine diseases, and infections. We aimed to investigate the etiological causes of pancytopenia in one-year period.

Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, etiological causes of pancytopenia were investigated in patients who were admitted to the hematology and internal diseases clinics of Ministry of Health Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital in 2012.

Results: Of 251 patients with pancytopenia who were evaluated, 131 cases were male. The mean age was 58,73±17,70 years. Etiological causes of pancytopenia were categorized as four main groups, including hematological diseases in 94 patients (37.5%), hypersplenism in 72 patients (28.7%), vitamin B12 deficiency in 46 patients (18.3%), and other causes (autoimmune diseases, infections, etc.) in 39 patients (15.5%). The most common cause of pancytopenia was hypersplenism (n: 72, 28%), followed by vitamin B12 deficiency (n: 46, 18%), acute myeloid leukemia (n: 32, 12%), respectively.

Conclusion: Hypersplenism is the most common cause of pancytopenia, even though cause of hypersplenism cannot be found out in half of all patients. Vitamin B 12 deficiency is a common cause that could be diagnosed with complete blood count and serum B 12 level, and be treated within a short time after a supplement or B12 injections, or a high-dose oral vitamin B12 treatment. HIV should be investigated in young patients. Hematological diseases and cancers are more observed in male patients older than sixty years.