Transient Erythroblastopenia of Childhood
Kathryn Foucar, MD
Key Facts
Terminology
Self-limited red cell aplasia characterized by
Normocytic/normochromic anemia with reticulocytopenia
Decreased erythroid lineage in bone marrow (red cell aplasia)
Etiology/Pathogenesis
Unclear; usually no causative factor consistently identified
Postulated immune-related disruption of erythropoiesis
Clinical Issues
Rare disorder; 4.3 per 100,000 children ≤ 3 years
Children usually ≥ 1 year of age
Reticulocyte count inappropriately low
Erythropoietin levels increased
Spontaneous recovery within 1-2 months
Does not typically recur
 Peripheral blood smear shows a profound normocytic/normochromic anemia without polychromasia. There is minimal, if any, anisopoikilocytosis of RBCs. |
 Bone marrow aspirate smear illustrates a marked decrease in the erythroid lineage with only rare erythroblasts  and no maturing forms. Granulocytic lineage is normal. |
TERMINOLOGY
Abbreviations
Transient erythroblastopenia of childhood (TEC)
Synonyms
Transient red cell aplasia
Definitions
Self-limited red cell aplasia characterized by
Normocytic/normochromic anemia
Marked reticulocytopenia
Decreased erythroid lineage cells in bone marrow
ETIOLOGY/PATHOGENESIS
Multifactorial Causes
Unclear; usually no causative factor identified
Underlying viral infection or immune aberration postulated but not consistently documented
Rare reports in siblings
