Korean J Hematol.  2007 Jun;42(2):146-150. 10.5045/kjh.2007.42.2.146.

A Case of Pure Red Cell Aplasia Associated with Hashimoto Disease

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea. brightree@lycos.co.kr
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.

Abstract

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is a rare hematologic disorder characterized by anemia, reticulocytopenia in the blood and isolated severe erythroblastopenia with no abnormalities of the granulopoiesis and megakaryopoiesis in the bone marrow. Acquired PRCA has been reported in association with various autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, mixed connective tissue disease and Sjogren's syndrome. We report here on a case of PRCA associated with Hashimoto disease (without any other autoimmune disease) which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously reported in Korean and English literatures. Our patient was treated with levothyroxine alone without other immunosuppressive agents and her hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit values returned to normal.

Keyword

Pure red cell aplasia; Hashimoto disease; Autoimmune; Hypothyroidism

MeSH Terms

Anemia
Arthritis, Rheumatoid
Autoimmune Diseases
Bone Marrow
Hashimoto Disease*
Hematocrit
Humans
Hypothyroidism
Immunosuppressive Agents
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure*
Sjogren's Syndrome
Thyroxine
Immunosuppressive Agents
Thyroxine

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Bone marrow aspirate smear showing marked decrease of erythroid precursors (Wright-Giemsa stain, ×400).

  • Fig. 2 Radionuclide (99mTc) scan of the thyroid showing diffuse thyroid enlargement with irregular contour.


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