OBJECTIVETo reveal the clinical features of patients with acute arrest of hemopoiesis (AAH), and explore the dissimilarity between AAH, severe aplastic anemia (SAA) and very severe aplastic anemia (vSAA).

METHODSThe clinical and laboratory features of 23 AAH patients diagnosed and treated in our hospital from May 1993 to May 2006 were analysed retrospectively and compared to the 111 cases of SAA and vSAA patients diagnosed at anaemia therapeutic centre of the hospital from Jul 2002 to May 2006.

RESULTSTwenty-three patients accorded with the criteria for AAH, and 16 of them with the criteria for severe acute arrest of hemopoiesis (SAAH). They could spontaneously reconstitute their bone marrow hematopoiesis at a median of 17 days (range, 8-50), and had remarkable older age (median age 35.5 vs 21), positive history of other disease and taking medication. Fever as one of presenting symptom were noticed in 10 of 16 STAA patients. The laboratory results were similar with SAA or vSAA, had more frequent decreased serum albumin level and total iron binding capacity and higher CFU-GM.

CONCLUSIONSPatients with AAH often had similar clinical symptoms with SAA or vSAA. Although they were diagnosed retrospectively, identification of the pathogenesis and laboratory examination may help for the early diagnosis.