Postpartum Parvovirus B19-associated Acute Pure Red Cell Aplasia and Hemophagocytic Syndrome

Abstract

A 30-year-old postpartum woman was admitted to our hospital because of progressive anemia, malaise, night sweating, headache and low grade fever which began 9 days after delivery (day 0). She had normocytic hypochromic anemia accompanied with marked decrease in reticulocytes. In addition, a temporary decrease in platelets and white blood cells especially neutrophils were observed. Bone marrow smears showed an apparent decrease in erythroid cells and the presence of giant proerythroblasts (1.2%) as well as hemophagocytes (1.2%). IgM and IgG antibody against human parvovirus B19 (HPV) was detected on day 22 of the disease although negative results were abtained on day 3. The presence of the virus in the blood on admission was confirmed by dot-blot analysis. Thus, this case was diagnosed as acute pure red cell aplasia and hemophagocytic syndrome caused by HPV infection. This patient had been given iron for iron deficiency anemia before delivery and the iron deficiency was still present after the episode of the present disease although the iron metabolism data was perturbed during the disease. These fingings suggest that HPV could cause acute pure red cell aplasia not only in patients with hemolytic anemia but also in patients with iron deficiency anemia or after acute bleeding. Furthermore it is suggested that pancytopenia often observed on HPV infection could be at least partly caused by hemophagocytic syndrome.