PANCYTOPENIA

Course overview

PANCYTOPENIA IS DEFINED AS A DECREASE IN ALL THREE HEMATOLOGIC CELL LINES. THE CONDITION IS NOT A DISEASE IN ITSELF BUT A COMMON PATHWAY CAUSED BY VARIOUS ETIOLOGIES THAT CAN BE INFECTIOUS, AUTOIMMUNE, GENETIC, NUTRITIONAL, AND/OR MALIGNANT. DETERMINING THE CAUSE OF PANCYTOPENIA IS A CHALLENGE AND IS KEY IN DETERMINING THE PROPER TREATMENT REGIMEN AND ESTIMATING PROGNOSIS. PANCYTOPENIA COULD BE A RESULT OF DECREASED PRODUCTION OF THE CELLS OR INCREASED DESTRUCTION. ANYONE PRESENTING WITH PANCYTOPENIA REQUIRES A THOROUGH EVALUATION TO IDENTIFY THE UNDERLYING ETIOLOGY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE MOST COMMON ETIOLOGIES OF PANCYTOPENIA, OUTLINES POTENTIAL PATHWAYS IN DETERMINING THE UNDERLYING DIAGNOSIS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S IMPORTANCE IN EVALUATING AND TREATING THESE PATIENTS.