Acquired pure red blood cell aplasia is a disorder of erythroid precursors that results in an isolated normocytic anemia. White blood cells and platelets are not affected. Diagnosis requires demonstration of peripheral normocytic anemia and a normocellular bone marrow biopsy with absence of erythroid precursors.
Parvovirus B19 is primarily a disease of children but may also be seen in adults, particularly those who are immunocompromised. The virus infects red blood cells and their precursors, causing transient normochromic normocytic anemia with severely decreased or absent reticulocytes, and abnormal pronormoblasts in bone marrow. The finding of viral DNA by PCR testing confirms the diagnosis. Treatment is supportive and symptomatic but may include IV immune globulin to decrease viremia in immunocompromised patients.
See Pure Red Blood Cell Aplasia and Treatment of Anemia in The Manuals
References
Kerr JR. A review of blood diseases and cytopenias associated with human parvovirus B19 infection. Rev Med Virol. 2015 Jul;25(4):224-40. doi: 10.1002/rmv.1839. Epub 2015 May 11. PMID: 25962796.
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