Clinicohaematological & Aetiological Profile of Bicytopenic / Pancytopenic Children in Dehradun, India - A 5-Year Study
BACKGROUND Cytopenia (bicytopenia / pancytopenia) in paediatric age group patients presents with variable clinical features from pallor, fever to organomegaly. Causes vary from megaloblastic anaemia to fatal leukaemias. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the etiological and clinico-haematological profile in children with bicytopenia and pancytopenia. METHODS The present retrospective study was carried out in the section of haematology, Department of Pathology of Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Dehradun. All paediatric cases (up to 18 yrs.) with bone marrow examination, that were presented as bicytopenia or pancytopenia by routine haematological investigations were included in the study. RESULTS A total of 126 cases were included in the study, out of which, bone marrow aspiration was done in all 126 cases and trephine biopsy was done in only 78 cases. In our study, bicytopenia and pancytopenia was seen in 57.9 % and 42.1 % cases respectively. Most cases were recorded in 2nd decade. Pallor and fever were frequently observed clinical features in both cytopenias. Splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy and hepatomegaly were observed more in bicytopenia (34.2 %, 28.8 % and 27.4 % respectively). Bleeding and petechial rash were more common in pancytopenia (30.2 % and 20.8 % respectively). Anaemia and thrombocytopenia (67.1 %) were commonest combinations of bicytopenia followed by anaemia and leucopenia (26.0 %) and thrombocytopenia and leucopenia (6.8 %). CONCLUSIONS Bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy are important diagnostic tools in evaluating the cases of cytopenia. Both procedures are complementary to each other. KEY WORDS Bicytopenia, Pancytopenia, Megaloblastic Anaemia, Leukemia, Children