Aplastic anaemia is a form of anaemia in which the bone marrow fails to produce adequate numbers of peripheral blood elements. It may be caused by cancer of the bone marrow, or by contact with poisonous chemicals, radiation, or antibiotics or other drugs. Patients may have symptoms of anaemia such as paleness, fatigue, shortness of breath on exertion and rapid heart rate (caused by low red cells); excessive bleeding and a tendency to bruise easily (low platelets) and a high susceptibility to infection (lack of white cells).
