Recurrent aplastic anemia with donor-type aplasia

Abstract

Donor-type aplasia (DTA) is a condition where an individual continues to be aplastic even after a successful engraftment of a hematopoeitic stem cell transplant with a majority of donor type cells in the bone marrow. This entity has been seen with varying frequency around the world, especially in Southeast Asia. However, its incidence in the Indian subcontinent remains fairly low. Here is a case of a 17-year-old child with DTA who had a 89% population of donor cells after a successful transplant and presented with recurrent severe aplastic anemia later. The patient eventually succumbed to his condition before a second transplant could be performed. The awareness about the seriousness of this relatively rare condition, therefore, needs to be emphasized.

Donor-type aplasia after stem cell transplantation in aplastic anaemia

“…In the current issue of this journal Majumder et al .,[ 1 ] have described a case of severe aplastic anaemia who died after successful allogenic stem cell transplantation due to donor-type aplasia (DTA). Secondary marrow aplasia following full donor cell chimerism after allogeneic transplantation in aplastic anaemia is extremely rare amongst Caucasians[ 2 ] but reported frequently from southeast Asian countries in 5-18% cases.…”