Acquired Aplastic Anaemia: aAA; Acquired Aplastic Anemia (US)

Acquired Aplastic Anaemia (aAA) affects around 2 in 1,000,000 children every year. Affected children develop low blood counts due to failure of production by the bone marrow. Although aAA can be triggered by viral infections, drugs or exposure to toxic substances in most cases there is no evidence of a specific cause. The disorder may be due either to a defect in early blood forming cells (stem cells) or to an attack by the body's own immune system, especially T lymphocytes.

aAA rarely improves spontaneously and treatment by a bone marrow transplant or immune suppressive drugs is required. Both these treatments are now highly effective so that most children respond well. The commonly used drugs for immune suppression are anti-lymphocyte globulin (ALG) and cyclosporin (CSA). With both forms of treatment supportive care including intermittent blood and platelet transfusion and antibiotics are usually necessary until the bone marrow recovers.

Inheritance patterns
None.

Prenatal diagnosis
None.

Medical text written July 1997 by Dr D Webb. Last reviewed October 2003 by Dr D Webb, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist/Oncologist, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.

APLASTIC ANAEMIA TRUST

AA Support Group Co-ordinator
Aplastic Anaemia Trust
16 Sidney Road
Borstal
Rochester ME1 3HF
Tel/Fax: 0870 487 0099
e-mail: support@theaat.org.uk
Web: http://www.theaat.org.uk

The Trust is a National Registered Charity No. 1107539. Originally, established in 1985 as the Marrow Environment Project, it joined with the Aplastic Anaemia Support Group in 2000 to form the Aplastic Anaemia Trust. The Trust offers support and information to families affected by Aplastic Anaemia. It produces a quarterly newsletter, holds national meetings and encourages contact between families. The Trust is in contact with over 450 families.

Group details last updated October 2007.