Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Aplastic Anemia
Aplastic anemia is a rare but serious blood disorder. If you have it, your bone marrow doesn't make enough new blood cells. It happens when there is damage to stem cells inside your bone marrow. There are different types of aplastic anemia, including Fanconi anemia.
The causes of aplastic anemia can include:
- Autoimmune disorders, which are the most common cause
- Certain inherited gene changes, such as the one that can cause Fanconi anemia
- Toxic substances, such as pesticides, arsenic, and benzene
- Radiation therapy and chemotherapy for cancer
- Certain medicines
- Viral infections such as hepatitis, Epstein-Barr virus, or HIV
- Pregnancy
In many people, the cause is unknown. This is called idiopathic aplastic anemia.
Aplastic anemia can develop suddenly or slowly. It can be mild or severe. The symptoms of aplastic anemia can include:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Easy bruising or bleeding
Aplastic anemia can cause other problems, including frequent infections and bleeding. It raises your risk of developing a serious blood disorder.
If not treated, aplastic anemia can also lead to heart problems such as an arrhythmia (a problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat), an enlarged heart, or heart failure.
To find out if you have aplastic anemia, your doctor will:
- Take your medical and your family medical histories
- Do a physical exam
- Order tests, such as tests to check if you have low numbers of cells in your bone marrow and blood
If you have aplastic anemia, your doctor will create a treatment plan for you. The plan will be based on how severe the anemia is and what is causing it. Treatments can include:
- Blood transfusions
- Blood and marrow stem cell transplants
- Medicines to suppress your immune system
Because of the risk of blood disorders, your doctor will monitor your condition and screen you for blood disorders regularly.
It sits within Blood, Heart and Circulation and Immune System.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Aplastic Anemia
508 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Pacritinib, a Kinase Inhibitor of CSF1R, IRAK1, JAK2, and FLT3, in Adults and Pediatric Participants 12 Years of Age or Older With Myelodysplastic Syndromes or Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative NeoplasmsNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Prophylactic NAC to Improve Platelet Engraftment After Haploidentical Transplantation in Severe Aplastic Anemia PatientsPeking University People's Hospital
- A Trial Comparing Unrelated Donor BMT With IST for Pediatric and Young Adult Patients With Severe Aplastic Anemia (TransIT, BMT CTN 2202)Boston Children's Hospital
- Experience and Management of Cancer Screening-Related Anxiety in Fanconi AnemiaNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Clinical Genetics Branch Eligibility Screening SurveyNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Cancer in Inherited Bone Marrow Failure SyndromesNational Cancer Institute (NCI)
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Aplastic AnemiaNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Aplastic Anemia: Symptoms and CausesMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Diagnosis and Tests
- Blood TestsNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)National Library of Medicine
- Reticulocyte CountNational Library of Medicine
Treatments and Therapies
- Iron ChelationAplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation
- Treatments for Blood DisordersNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- What Are the Treatments for Aplastic Anemia?Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation
Related Issues
- Special Issues for People with Aplastic AnemiaAplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation
Genetics
- Fanconi anemia: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Anemia, AplasticNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Anemia, Aplastic. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Aplastic Anemia, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.