Pancytopenia Causes
Many conditions can cause pancytopenia. In about half of all cases, the cause is never found. That is called idiopathic pancytopenia. In some parts of the world, pancytopenia is caused by poor nutrition. In North America, most cases of pancytopenia are related to an uncontrolled growth of cells. These are known as neoplastic conditions, and they can be cancerous or noncancerous. Pancytopenia can be due to disorders that cause your bone marrow to make too few blood cells or to disorders that make your body destroy blood cells too quickly. You may have one or both problems. Some causes of pancytopenia include: Cancer. Cancer cells can enter your bone marrow and lessen the production of healthy cells. Leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma are just three of the cancers that can cause pancytopenia. Lupus and other autoimmune disorders. Your body's immune cells attack your healthy blood cells. Blood or bone marrow disorders. These include conditions such as aplastic anemia, which causes your bone marrow to make abnormal cells. Viral Infections. HIV, hepatitis C, mononucleosis, and other viral infections can trigger pancytopenia. Side effects of medicine. Some medicines such as antibiotics, blood pressure medication, and heart medication can cause pancytopenia, though this is rare. Exposure to toxins such as radiation, arsenic, or benzine. These can damage your blood cells. Chemotherapy treatments. These suppress the production of healthy blood cells. Radiation treatments Liver disease. Cirrhosis of the liver can allow blood cells to be trapped in your spleen. Drinking too much alcohol. This can lead to liver disease.