Aplastic Anaemia in Children.

A anaemia is a life threatening blood disorder that affects a large number of children each year in India. Exposure to toxic agents like benzene, radiation and viruses like hepatitis A have been implicated in its aetiology. The incidence in developing countries is far higher compared to developed countries. Investigating a child with pancytopenia is more complex than that of an adult as numerous inherited bone marrow failures can also present with aplastic anaemia without any obvious somatic features. Precise aetiological diagnosis is therefore mandatory in children before embarking on any therapy.