OBJECTIVETo study the clinical features and etiological spectrum of pancytopenia in children.

METHODSThe clinical data of 174 children with pancytopenia between September 2003 and January 2010 were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTSPale face was the most common clinical manifestation (147 cases, 84.5%), followed by bleeding (87 cases, 50.0%) and fever (41 cases, 23.6%). Mild to moderate anemia, severe thrombocytopenia and mild leucopenia were common in complete blood count. Of the 174 children, pancytopenia was attributed to hematopoietic system diseases in 155 cases (89.1%) and non-hematopoietic system diseases (virus infections, systemic lupus erythematosus, hypersplenism and neuroblastoma) in 6 cases (3.4%). Aplastic anemia (91 cases, 52.3%) was the most common cause of pancytopenia, followed by myelodysplastic syndrome (37 cases, 21.3%), acute leukemia and other hematological tumours (11 cases, 6.3%) and hemophagocytic syndrome (6 cases, 3.4%). The cause of pancytopenia was not identified in 13 cases (7.5%).

CONCLUSIONSAnemia, bleeding and fever are the main clinical manifestations of pancytopenia in children. Pancytopenia is mostly caused by aplastic anemia in children. Myelodysplastic syndrome, hematological tumours and hemophagocytic syndrome are also the common causes.