Pancytopenia in 7 Year - Old Child with Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia: Case Report

Haloom Abdel Salam Elhashmi

Abstract: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common cause of anemia in childhood worldwide and it is commonly due to nutritional problems in developing countries. It is usually accompanied by normal white blood cells (WBC) and normal or increase platelet count. Pancytopenia can be a rare manifestation of IDA. Here, we report a 7-year-old male child who presented IDA with pancytopenia, without other causes of pancytopenia or any other malignant disease. This patient is a rare pediatric case with severe IDA who exhibited pancytopenia. The patient has received a packed cell transfusion because he had symptomatic anemia. His blood parameters were normalized with the starting and continuation of iron supplements. This case demonstrated that patients with severe IDA may present as a case of pancytopenia. Conclusion: This case demonstrated that patients with severe IDA, may also have leucopenia and thrombocytopenia. Thus, severe iron deficiency should be added to the list of conditions leading to pancytopenia.

Keywords: Anemia, iron deficiency, Leukopenia, Thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, Children