Abstract
Pure red cell aplasia was found in a patient (31-year-old man) with infectious hepatitis who was treated with chloramphenicol, 1500 mg daily for supposed infection of biliary tract. Bone marrow aspiration showed almost complete absence of erythroid cells with normal myeloid series and megakaryocytes.
There remained 3.6 percent of erythroid cells in bone marrow all of which were vacuolated primitive erythroblasts. There was a rapid and complete recovery after discontinuance of the drug. Ferrokinetics studies were performed before and after his hematological recovery.
In a review of the literature in Japan, we found five instances of pure red cell aplasia associated with chloramphenicol therapy. Five patients including our case recovered when the drug was removed.
Finally the pathogenetic mechanism for chloramphenicol-induced pure cell aplasia has been discussed on the basis of current literature.
