Pancytopenia is a reduction in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the peripheral blood below the lower limits of the age-adjusted normal range for healthy people. It is therefore the combination of anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia.
Pancytopenia may result from decreased production of blood cells due to bone marrow failure, or from immune-mediated destruction of blood cells, or non-immune-mediated sequestration in the periphery/spleen.
The diagnosis of pancytopenia is made from the results of an automated complete blood count and examination of the peripheral smear but, as the etiology of pancytopenia varies significantly, a detailed diagnostic evaluation is required in every instance.
Frances and Thomas Gambino Professor of Pediatrics in Hematology/Oncology
Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Medicine
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Professor, The Center for Autoimmune Musculoskeletal and Hematopoietic Diseases
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Director, Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation
Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York
JML has been reimbursed by Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A as a consultant.
Dr Jeffrey M. Lipton would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Jeff K. Davies and Dr Eva C. Guinan, the previous contributors to this topic.
JKD and ECG declare that they have no competing interests.