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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDoctors diagnose aplastic anemia using blood tests and bone marrow biopsy.
- Blood tests. Normally, red blood cell, white blood cell and platelet levels stay within a certain range. Your doctor may suspect aplastic anemia when all three of these blood cell levels are very low. Many conditions can cause low blood cell counts, but usually of just one type of blood cell. For example, other types of anemia cause a decrease in red blood cells. If you have an infection, your white blood cell count alone may be low.
- Bone marrow biopsy. To confirm a diagnosis, you'll need to undergo a bone marrow biopsy. In this procedure, a doctor uses a needle to remove a small sample of bone marrow from a large bone in your body, such as your hipbone. The bone marrow sample is examined under a microscope to rule out other blood-related diseases. In aplastic anemia, bone marrow contains fewer blood cells than normal. The few cells that are present, however, are normal. In certain diseases such as leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome, the bone marrow is full of abnormal blood cells.
Once you've received a diagnosis of aplastic anemia, you may need additional tests to determine an underlying cause.
References
- Aplastic anemia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/aplastic/aplastic_all.html. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
- Aplastic anemia. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec11/ch130/ch130f.html#sec11-ch130-ch130e-91. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
- Young NS. Aplastic anemia. Current Opinion in Hematology. 2008;15:162.
- Schrier SL. Aplastic anemia: Pathogenesis; clinical manifestations; and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
- Schrier SL. Aplastic anemia: Prognosis and treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
- Shih RD. Plants, mushrooms, and herbal medications. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/119296292-3/801134565/1365/515.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50167-0--cesec32_8318. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
