Pancytopenia is a relatively common hematological entity. It is a striking feature of many serious and life-threatening illnesses, ranging from simple drug-induced bone marrow hypoplasia, megaloblastic anemia to fatal bone marrow aplasias and leukemias. The severity of pancytopenia and the underlying pathology determine the management and prognosis. Thus, identification of the correct cause will help in implementing appropriate therapy.
Pancytopenia is an important clinico-hematological entity encountered in our day-to-day clinical practice. There are varying trends in its clinical pattern, treatment modalities, and outcome.[1] It is a disorder in which all three major formed elements of blood (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets) are decreased in number.[2] It is not a disease entity but a triad of findings that may result from a number of disease processes — primarily or secondarily involving the bone marrow.[3] The severity of pancytopenia and the underlying pathology determine the management and prognosis of the patients.[4] In India, the causes of pancytopenia are not well defined, so the present study has been undertaken to evaluate the various causes and to correlate the peripheral blood findings with bone marrow aspirate.[4,5] Thereby, this data would help in planning the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in patients with pancytopenia.