Transient erythroblastopenia of childhood in infants < 6 months of age.
OBJECTIVE
During a 6-year period, we identified six infants < 6 months of age with transient erythroblastopenia of childhood (TEC).


METHODS
All patients presented with moderate to severe anemia, reticulocytopenia, and age-appropriate mean corpuscular volume and fetal hemoglobin level.


RESULTS
Severe aregenerative anemia in an infant < 6 months of age often raises the diagnostic possibility of Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA). Given prognostic and therapeutic implications, distinction between DBA and TEC is of crucial importance.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that TEC may occur more commonly in infants < 6 months of age than has heretofore been recognized and that it has a clinical and hematologic picture similar to that seen in older children. Recognition of the occurrence of TEC in very young infants may help avoid an inappropriate diagnosis of DBA.
Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
R
R
Miller
B
B
Berman
D000367:Age Factors; D005199:Fanconi Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012010:Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*