Aplastic Anemia: Demographic and Clinical Characteristics in Costa Rica

Abstract

Background Aplastic anemia (AA) is a rare and heterogeneous hematological disorder defined as pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow in the absence of abnormal infiltration or medullary fibrosis. Various causes of AA have been identified, such as autoimmune factors, bone marrow injuries, viral infections, and genetic disorders. The symptoms of AA are directly linked to pancytopenia and the most common are fatigue, recurrent infections, and bleeding problems. The treatment of AA varies according to the severity of the disease and includes immunosuppressive therapies and bone marrow transplantation. This study aims to identify the most relevant social, clinical, and demographic characteristics of patients with AA in Costa Rica. Methodology A retrospective, observational study was conducted in Costa Rica by reviewing the medical records of patients diagnosed with AA in the main hospitals of the Costa Rican Social Security Health Fund (CCSS, by its acronym in Spanish). A total of 109 patients who were evaluated between 2016 and 2018 were identified. Sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment information was collected for these patients in a database that was analyzed using statistical programs such as SPSS Statistics (version 24) and GraphPad Prism (version 8). Results Most patients were male (56%) with an average age of 32 years. Patients were classified according to the severity of the disease, and a higher mortality at 60 months was observed in those with very severe AA and in patients over 65 years old. The most commonly used first-line treatment was the combination of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine (42.9%). Patients who required a greater number of blood transfusions had a more severe disease. Further, 46 patients requiring a second line of treatment were identified, and the most common treatment in this group was the combination of ATG with eltrombopag in 19.6% of the patients. The study results present the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with AA in Costa Rica. The lack of identification of a common external factor that may influence the development of the disease is highlighted. Treatment with rabbit ATG and cyclosporine demonstrated a good response in patients. The availability and cost of treatments are important considerations, especially in developing countries. Conclusions The study highlights significant progress in the understanding and treatment of AA in the Costa Rican context. The results support the efficacy of the combination of antibodies and cyclosporine as a therapeutic option. The importance of adapting treatments to the characteristics of the local population is emphasized, along with the need for further research to improve long-term outcomes