Aplastic Anemia Screening
Your doctor will perform a comprehensive physical exam and discuss your overall health, including signs of disease, health habits, family history, past illnesses and treatments.
Tests Used to Diagnose Aplastic Anemia
After the initial exam and depending on your symptoms and family history, your doctor may suggest a variety of additional screenings and diagnostic tests to determine the cause of your symptoms. The aplastic anemia diagnostic tests may include:
- Complete blood count (CBC): A measure of the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in the blood. The amount of hemoglobin (the substance in the blood that carries oxygen) and the hematocrit (the amount of whole blood that is made up of red blood cells) are also measured.
- Blood chemistry analysis: A procedure in which a sample of blood is examined to measure the amounts of certain substances made in the body. An abnormal amount of a substance can be a sign of disease in the organ or tissue that produces it. Also called blood chemistry study.
- Peripheral blood smear: A procedure in which a drop of blood from your fingertip is smeared on a slide and viewed under a microscope to count different circulating blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and so on), review their shape and see if the cells look normal.
- Bone marrow biopsy: A procedure in which a small sample of bone (2.5 cm) with the bone marrow inside it is removed, usually from the hipbone. A small area of skin and the surface of the bone underneath are numbed with an anesthetic. Then, a special wide needle is pushed into the bone and rotated to remove a sample of bone with the bone marrow inside it. The sample is sent to a laboratory to be looked at under a microscope, where the pathologist looks for cellularity (what proportion of the bone has blood from the cells). Cellularity decreases with each decade of life. For example, a newborn has 90% cellularity; a person in their 70s would typically have about 30% cellularity. A cellularity percentage that is too low for a person’s decade of age indicates possible aplastic anemia.
If you've been diagnosed with aplastic anemia or would like to speak with a hematology expert at the OSUCCC – James, please call 614-293-9441 or 800-293-5066. Telehealth options are available.