Aplastic Anemia

An uncommon disorder characterized by the failure of the bone marrow to produce blood cells. It may occur as an inherited condition (see Fanconi's anemia) or, more often, the disease develops later in life. This form is called acquired aplastic anemia. It leads to a severe shortage of all types of blood cell causing tiredness, susceptibility to infection, and potentially serious problems with bleeding as a result of a deficiency in blood platelets. The acquired disease is usually the result of an autoimmune attack of lymphocytes against blood cell progenitors preventing normal blood cell formation.