What are the causes and symptoms of aplastic anemia?
Aplastic anemia falls into three basic categories, based on the origin of its cause: idiopathic, acquired, and hereditary. In about 60% of cases, aplastic anemia is considered to be idiopathic, meaning that the cause of the disorder is unknown. Acquired aplastic anemia refers to those cases where certain environmental factors and physical conditions seem to be associated with development of the disease. Acquired aplastic anemia can be associated with: • exposure to drugs, especially anti-cancer agents, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents, seizure medications, and antithyroid drugs (drugs given to stop the functioning of an overactive thyroid) • exposure to radiation • chemical exposure (especially to the organic solvent benzene and certain insecticides) • infection with certain viruses (especially those causing viral hepatitis, as well as Epstein-Barr virus, parvovirus, and HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS) • pregnancy • certain other disorders, including a disease called paroxysma
