Comparison of the severity of cytopenias with etiologic factors in patients with pancytopenia and bicytopenia

Abstract

Introduction: the aim of this study was to evaluate the severity of hematological findings according to etiology in patients with pancytopenia and bicytopenia.

Methods: patients with bicytopenia and pancytopenia who were examined in Diyarbakir Children Hospital Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic between June 2017-June 2018 were evaluated retrospectively.

Results: of the 130 patients included in the study, 73 (56.2%) were male and 43 (43.8%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 4.9 ± 4.86. Forty-five (34.6%) patients had pancytopenia and 85 (65.3%) had bicytopenia. The youngest patient was 1-month old and the oldest patient was 18-year-old. The mean blood count parameters were white blood cell (WBC): 10.207 ± 39.781, neutrophil: 1515 ± 1418, hgb: 9.3 ± 2.3, mean corpuscular volume (MCV): 80 ± 13.1, platelet: 118.823 ± 93.645. Three out of 130 patients had hyperleukocytosis (WBC > 50.000/mm³). Vitamin B12 deficiency was detected in 35 patients. When patients with primary hematological disease were compared with patients with secondary causes of cytopenias, a significant difference was found in terms of leukocyte count, hemoglobin level, MCV elevation, and low platelet count.

Conclusion: the determination of the severity of cytopenias in differential diagnosis may be useful in distinguishing primary hematological diseases from secondary causes of pancytopenia and bicytopenia. However, vitamin B12 deficiency in developing countries is one of the most important causes of public health as well as in the etiology of pancytopenia and bicytopenia.