A cross sectional study of clinical and aetiological profile of pancytopenia at a tertiary care hospital in Bhopal

Introduction: Pancytopenia is an important clinico-haematological entity observed in our day to day clinical practice. It is a disorder in which all the three major formed elements of blood (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) are decreased in number. The causes of pancytopenia can be due to decrease in hematopoietic cell production in the marrow resulting from infections, toxins, malignant cell infiltration, post- chemotherapy or post-radiation. Materials and Methods: 150 patients having pancytopenia were included in the present study. The study was conducted in the Department of Pathology of Chirayu Medical College & Hospitals, Bhopal. The study period was 1 July 2016 to 31 December 2017. Study was performed in patients attending outdoor and indoor departments of Chirayu medical college and hospitals, Bhopal. Informed consent was obtained from each of the patient fulfilling the inclusion criteria prior to their enrolment in the study. Those how had age<10> Results: This is a clinico-haematological study on Pancytopenia and its correlation with bone marrow aspiration carried out in the Department of Pathology over a period of one and half year from 1 June 2016 to 31 December 2017. A total number of 150 patients in all the age group presenting with pancytopenia were evaluated. Out of 150 cases 95 were males and 55 were females. The age of the patients ranged from 0 years to >70 years. 64% cases were observed in the age group of 11-30 years. Most of the patients were in the age group of 11-30 years. Megaloblastic anaemia was the commonest underlying etiology of pancytopenia in 50% patients. Next common cause was hypersplenism in 18% and aplastic anaemia in 11% cases. Acute leukaemia was the cause in 9%. MDS was seen in 10%. Nutritional anaemia was seen in 2% patients. Conclusion: The present study concludes that detailed primary hematological investigations along with bone marrow aspiration in pancytopenic patients are helpful for understanding disease process and to diagnose or to the rule out causes of pancytopenia. These are also helpful in planning for further investigations and management.