A Case of Aplastic Anemia Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Successful Treatement with Cyclosporine

Systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) is autoimmune disease in which involves systemic organs. Hematological manifestations are common in patients with SLE but aplastic anemia is very rare and, although various immunosuppressants have been tried, there is no established treatment in aplastic anemia associated with SLE. Furthermore, disease course and prognosis may be different from other aplastic anemia. A 42-year-old woman presented with fever, chilling, myalgia, general weakness, pancytopenia. Her bone marrow aspirate and biopsy revealed almost acellular bone marrow with rare foci of hematopoietic elements and she was diagnosed with SLE simultaneously. High-dose methyprednisolone, prednisolone and cyclophosphamide therapies had been unsuccessful in controlling pancytopenia. Cyclosproine was started and the aplastic anemia was responded. Now she was free of transfusion with more than 10 g/dL of hemoglobin.